\ 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



mm 1 111 ill ill I III H II '•'' 
!■ 013 744 664 9 



pH8^ 



E 668 Condition and Wants of the South— Political, 

.M83 Material, Legislative. 

Copy 1 



SPEECH 



OF 



y 

HOK FRAI^K MOREY, 

OF LOUISIANA, 



HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 



JUNE 15, 1874. 



I 






WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, 

1874. 






^ SPEECH 



OF 




HON. EllANK MO KEY, 



On the political and material wants of the South, and the means of remedying them 
by k'gislatiou. 

Mr. MOREY. In speaking of the political condition of the South, 
Mr. Speaker, we must bear in mind that the Southern States have 
since the war had an experience unlike that which the northern jjor- 
tiou of our countiy has ever experienced. 

At the surrender of General Lee the people of the South found 
themselves the residents of a country nuide desolate by war. The 
exhaustive war had had a demoralizini^ ctlect upon the people, and at 
its close society was in a very disorgaized condition. Many who had 
never known the necessity of either mental or physical labor found 
themselves reduced to penury. As a general rule the confederate sol- 
diei's returned to their homes glad that the war was at an end, though 
the fond hopes which they cherished at the conimcncement of the 
struggle had been blasted and overthrown. 

The general sentiment among the soldiers was one of satisfaction 
upon learning that the General Government proposed that they should 
be allowed freely to engage in the ordinary occupations of life un- 
trammeled by any restrictions not imposed upon other people. The 
most violent manifestations of opposition to the General Government 
came from those who had not seen service in the field, but who as a 
class, at the breaking out of the war, were violently in favor thereof, 
jirovided that the fighting was to be performed by somebody else than 
themselves. True to their ideas they kept out of harm's way, and at 
^ ' 1 J close of the war, fresh from their long repose, they were again found 
at the front ready and anxious to incite hostility of feeling against and 
lead a bloodless opposition to " the most despotic government that the 
world ever saw." The mass of the people, however, heeded not the 
advisers during the first year of peace, but set to work lio^ief ully and 
earnestly to retrieve their broken fortunes, and did not think that 
they were being dealt with otherwise than generously until President 
Johnson proclaimed a policy in hostility to that maintained by the 
majority in Congress and led the people of the South to believe that 
they were being deprived of their constitutional rights, &c. 

It is human nature to believe readily that you are being ill-treated 
if people insist that such is the case. This is as true of communities 
as of individuals. The non-combatants before referred to were eager 
and ready to take uj) the cry of "despotism," "unconstitutionality," 
&c., to enlarge thereon, and to influence the miiuls of the people and 
tlissatisfy them with the administration of the Government. 

I regret to say the seed thus sown fell iipon good gi'onnd. The 
result of the attempt by the southern planters to resuscitate them- 



selves fiuaucially in 1866 proved most disastrous, induciug a sentiment 
of despair, and in the case of many of desperation. Under the influ- 
ence of this state of feelings and the pernicious doctrine of the Presi- 
dent and the followers of his policy, the fourteenth amendment to the 
Constitution of the United States was rejected by the Legislatures of 
the Southern States in several cases with marked expressions of con- 
tempt. 

Encouraged by the attitude of the President, who bad arrayed him- 
self against Congress, the lawless element in the South indulged in 
lawlessness that found its outlet in most cases in outrages ujion the 
uuoliending negro, who was regarded as the cause of all the trouble. 
In New Orleans a riot was inaugurated that was participated in prin- 
cipally by the city police, in which a peaceable gathering of white 
and colored citizens, claiming to be a State constitutional convention, 
were fallen upon and many of whom were massacred in cold blood. 
Those who are not familiar with this page of modern history will 
find it recorded in a volume in the Library entitled Riots in New Or- 
leans in 1866. The following are some of the acts passed at this pe- 
riod of the history of the Southern States by the Legislatures or police 
juries thereof: 

MISSISSU'PI. 

An act to confer civil rights on freedmeii, and for other purposes, November 25, 

1865. 
Section 7 p^o^^des that every civil officer shall, and every person may arrest and 
carry back to his or her legal employer any freedman, free negro, or mulatto who 
shall have quit the service of his or her employer before the ex])iration of his or 
her term of service without good cause ; and said officer or person shall be entitled 
to receive for arresting and carrying back every deserting employ6 aforesaid the 
sum of five dollars, and ten cents per mile from the place of arrest to the place of 
delivery, and the same shall be paid by the employer and held as a set-off against 
the wages of said deserting employ6. 

An act to ptinish certain offenses therein named, and for other purposes Novem- 
ber 29, 1865. 

Section 1. Be it enacted, dc., That no freedman, free ne";ro. or mulatto, not in 
the military service of the United States Government, ana not licensed to dose 
by the board of police of his or her county, shall keep or carry fire-arms of any 
kind, or any ammunition, dirk, or bowie-knife ; and on conviction tlicreof in the 
county court shall be punished by fine, not exceeding ten dollars, and pay the 
costs of such proceedings, and all such arms or ammunition shall lie forfeited to 
the informer ; and it shall he the duty of every civil and military officer to arrest 
any freedman, free negro, or mulatto found with any such arms or ammunition, 
and cause him to be committed for trial in default of bail. 

Sec. 2. Thatany freedman, free negro, or mulatto committing riots, routs, affrays, 
trespasses, malicious mischief, and cruel treatment to animals, seditious speeches, 
insulting gestiires, language, or acts, or assaults on any person, distiubance of the 
peace, exercising the JEunctions of a ministt'r of the Gospel without a license from 
some regularly organized church, vending spirituous or intoxicating liquors, or 
committing any other misdemeanor the punishment of which is not specifically 
provided for by law, shall, upon conviction thereof in the county coiut, be fined 
not less tliiin ten dollars, and not more than one hundred dollars, and may be 
imprisoned, at the discretion of the court, not exceeding thirty days. 

Sec. 3. That if any white person shall sell, lend, or give to any freedman, free 
negro, or mulatto, any fire-arms, dirk, or l)owie-knife, or ammunition, or spirituous 
or intoxicating liquors, such person or persons so offending, upon conviction 
thereof in the county court of his or her county, shall be fined not exceeding fifty 
dollars, and may be imprisoned, at the discretion of the comt, not exceeding thirty 
days. 

Sec. 4. That aU the penal and criminal laws now in force in this State defining 
offenses and prescribing the mode of punishment for crimes and misdemeanors 
committed by slaves, free negroes, or mulattoes, be, and the same are hereby, re- 
enacted, and declared to be in full force and efli'ect, against freedmen, free negroes, 
and mulattoes, except so far as the mode and manner of trial and punishment 
have been changed or altered by law. 

Sec. 5. That if anv freedman, free negro, or mulatto, convicted of any of the 
misdemeanors provided against in this act, shall fail or refuse, for the space of five 



days after conviction, to pay tl.o tine and conts 7>P"«f '^ «' ' l> ^,^«° .,^" ' '/ L^il^fl' 
out by the sheriff or other officer, at publu: outer,,, to anv white ye «"» ^ "« " '" 
pay said tine and all costs, and take siub couvict for the shortest tiiue. 



ALABAMA. 



December -m\ passed niakinR it nulawful for any frecdiuan, mulatto, or free 
Berson of color in this State to own tire-anns, or cariA- about his p.'rsou a pistol or 
otl^rdeadW we po^^^^ " under a penalty of a tine of «1U0 or nnprisoninent three 
uouthr Alio S for -any person to sell, give, or lend ti-e-anus or 

ammi uitiou of any .lesc. ipti^m whatever to any freedu.an free n.'po, or nnilatto 
uSapenaUyof not le.'s than tifly dollars nor u.orc than one hundred dollais 
at the discretion of the jury. 

TENNESSEE. 

amended cuustitutiou, rutitied February 'J2, im:>. 
LOUISIANA. 

iS^r^hI?^.?!^X^>^l^nadeorenticeaway,..e.U 
any person ^bo leaves bis or her e,n,n,,ye,^ ->^-;; -- t' ^ n . " hl^ t^ 

ihe^parish jail for not more than twelve months nor less than t*n daj s, or both, at 
the discretion of the coiut. 

GEOllGIA. 

March 20 -Crimes defined in certain sections named as felonies are i")"ce'^ ^«- 

& p^inishmonts may be ordered in the discretion of the judge. 
SOUTH CAROLINA. 

An act preUminary to the legislation Induced by the emancipation of slaves, Octo- 
berl9, 18b5. 
section .0 ™,ide. .Uat.per»n of c.,.„^^ 
E.ged in hu.Wmlrj .hall not !>»" 'J^.'^'^f '^S'S ot »nv lin.l anlmiJ «! 

ssrtC.rMri.rrs'Ui^^iS^St^ 
stfrs.ts;s^irtSr3^3 a»|£|e-«^^ 

is ordinarily used m hunting, but not a V ^tol, musket or o^ ^^ 

appropriate for purjioses of war. The ^'^trict jua e or a m gold, the pro- 

crier, under which any ^eapon nnWiil y ^ept i^^^^ ^^e^^ou in Vio- 

?LTa!itsnci^aVorso'^^^^^^^ 

by corporeal punishment. i„„<,i,„ii Tv,;<Tratp intoandreside intbisState 

Wion22proTides tbatnopersonof color shall migrate i^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ .^^^ ^ 

unless, within twenty days after his ^^/J*! ^„^!^"Ve f ^^^^^ -udge of the district 

SoTL^^iSsri^rp^'nsrorA^s^ 



if the fine ami costs be not immediately paid, tliere shall be detention of the con- 
vict, and substitution of other punishment. If the oflense should not involve the 
crimen falsi, and be infamous, the substitution shall be, in the case of a white per- 
son, imprisonment for a time proportioned to the tine, at the rate of one day for each 
dollar ; and iu the case of a person of color enforced labor, without unnecessary pain or 
restraint, for a time pioiKirtioiud to the fine, at the rate of one day for each dollar. 
But if the oft'euse should \w infamous, there shall be substituted for a flue, for im- 
prisonment, or for botli, hard labor, corporeal punishment, solitary confinement, and 
confinement in tread-mill or stocks one or more days, at the discretion of the judge 
of the superior court, the district judge, or the magistrate who pronounces the sen- 
tence. In this act, and in respect to all crimes and misdemeanors ; the term serv. 
ants shall be understood to embrace an apprentice as well as a servant under con _ 
tract. 

December 21 : An act to establish aiul regulate the domestic relations of persons 
of color, and to amend the law in relation to paupers and vagrancy. 

A parent may bind his child over two years of age as an apprentice to serve till 
twenty-one if a male, eighteen if a female. All persons of color who make con- 
tracts for service or labor shall bo known as servants, and those with whom they 
contract as masters. 

Colored children between eighteen and twenty-one, who have neither father 
nor mother living iu the district in which they ai'e found, or whose parents are 
pau])er8, or unable to atibrd them a comfortable niaintenance, or whose parents are 
not tiai liiug them habits of industry and honesty or are persons of notoriously 
bad chaiactti', or are vagrants, or have been convicted of infamous offenses, and 
colored ilnldien, in all cases where they are in danger of moral contamination, 
may be bound as apprentices by the district judge or one of the magistrates for 
tlie aforesaid term. 

It provides "that no person of color shall pui'sue or practice the art, trade, or 
business of an artisan, mechanic, or shop-keeper, or any other trade, employment, 
or business, (besides that of husbandry, or that of a servant under a contract for 
service or labor) on his own account and for his own benefit, or in partnership 
with a white person, or as agent or servant of any person, imtil he shall have ob- 
tained a license therefor from the judge of the district court, which license shall 
be good for one year only. This license the judge may giant upon petition of the 
applicant, and upon biiiig satisfied of bis skill and fitness and of his good moral 
character, and upon payment by the applicant to the clerk of the district court of 
$100, if a shop-keeper or peddler, to be paid annually, and ten dollars if a mechanic, 
artisan, or to engage in any other trade, also to be paid annually: Provided, how- 
ever. That upon complaint being made and proved to the district judge of an abuse 
of such license he shall revoke the same." 

FLORIDA. 
An act to punish vagrants and vagabonds, January 1-2, 18C6. 
Section 1 defines as a vagrant "every able-bodied person who has no visible 
means of li\'ing and shall not be employed at some labor to support himself or her- 
self, or shall be leading an idle, immoral, or profligate course of life;" and may be 
arrested by any justice of the peace or judge of the county criminal court and be 
bound " in sutiicient surety " for good behavior and future industry for one year. 
Upon refusing or failing to give such security, he or she may be committed for 
trial, and, if convicted, sentenced to labor or imprisonment not exceeding twelve 
months, by whipping not exceeding thirty-nine stripes, or being ]iut in the piUory. 
If sentenced to labor, the " sherift" or other oiBcer of said court shall hire out such 
person for the term to which he or she shall be sentenced, not exceeding twelve 
months aforesaid, and the proceeds of such hiring shall be paid into the county 
treasury." All vagrants going ai-med may be disarmed by the sherilf, constable, 
or police oflicer. 

An act prescribing additional penalties for the commission of ofifenses against the 
State, and for other purposes, January 15, 1866. 

Section 1 provides that whenever in the criminal laws of this State, heretofore 

enacted, the pimishment of the offense is limited to fine and imprisonment, or to 

fine or iinpiisonment, there sliall be superadded as an alternative the punishment 

of standing in the pillory for an hour, or whipping not exceeding thiity-niue stiipes 

. on the bare back, or both, at the discretion of the jury. 

Section 12 makes it unlawful for any negrO, mulatto, or person of color, to own, 
use, or keei> in possession or under control any bowie-knife, dirk, sword, fire-arms, 
or ammunition of any kind, unless by license of the county judge of probate, under 
a penalty of forfeiting them to the informer and of standing in the pillory one 
hour, or be whipped not exceeding thirty-nine stripes, or both, at the discretion of 
the jury. 

Section 15 provides thai persons forming a military organization not authorized 
by law, or aiding or abetting it, shall be fined not exceeding §1,000, and imprison- 



ment not cxcoeilms six months, ov l)i' i>nioii.-il for ono hour, uiu h.> \v1.1|M.ci1 not 
exceeding thirty-nine strii»'s, at tlio .tiscri'tion of tho jury. 1 ho i.e-nallios to l.n 
threofoki uirnn V>'rsous who acceptoa oltices iu siicli organizations. 
No. 35.— AnorOinauco rolativoto th.^'olicoof n»>;;ro.«s recently ouiancipatod within 
tho parisli of Saint Landry. 

Whereas it was formerly nia<lo the duty of the police .jury to make Buitable roRu- 
lations for the police of slaves within the limits of the parish ; and wh.MeaH slaves 
have become eimuuinatcd by action of the nilin- powers; and whereas it is i.ecoH- 
sary for public, order as vvll as for the cnnfort andcnrrect .Uyurl.uat .A said freojl- 
mi;.; that suitable ret;uU,tions should be establislu.d for their ;;overnmcut m their 
Changed condition, the following' ordinances an- adopte<l: r nr,^^, Tlmf 

Section i Be it onlalncd b>/ the pulin: ../»•;/ "./ Hu- pan,ih of Saint Landri,, That 
nono-ro shall be allowe.l to pass within the limits of said parish without a «pccwt 
^ZutnZlthmirom his employer. Whoever shall v.o ate .^'« I"- ->;;"» ^"''"'^ 
pay a fine of I^.^O, or in default thereof shall be/onv;/ to un,k Jour dayi, on tUo 
Bublicroad or sufer corjiort-rtJ ^inii'.s/u/icn*, as provnled beieinattii. , f,.„,„ 

Sec «]il it further ordained. That every ne>rro who shall be f..iind absent from 
the resFdcncc/of lis ei iph.y.r after Wn o'clock at ni-ht, without a written j.erni.t 
from h s "mdoye^^^^^^^ pay a tine of ttvo d.dlars, or in default tluno sf,:dl bo 
COTip.lTe.l to work tiyo days'ou the public road, or suller corporeal piimshmeut, as 

^^fv^Ufu'l^ll^r ordai,ied, That no noRi-o shall be permitted to rent or A-«^ a 
house witWns^id parish. Any ne^ro violatm^j this I'-'v.sion sha 1... >;>-";l;''t«l.V 
ejected and compelled to find an emplo.yer ; and ^^'7 1' 'r's ct , si d 1, a^ a fi^ne of 
the use of any house to any negro in violation of tins section sliall pay a nne or 

^l^l^eU^r^e:^'nMned, That every negro is reqnired U> be in tho regnlar 
service of SOI ,. bite p.rson or former owner. But said employer or former owner 
m^'™U "ai,rnegr.^ to hire his own time by speci^il penni^ 
pension sliannotextendover..y,. 

?hrpa;Znt {h-n^f s^kUI Ik for. 'd ;;. work tive days on the public road, or sutler 
sl^e'aU^wed within said parish after sunset -. )'•'* -- Mm - u^ mec lug and co^ 

S^f™lT^l!:^^!"? %^^c:^";^^t t^o^k fi;!:t^s'y ^he ;;^r rSor'^A^r 

inafter provided. ^ ^ 

Sfc 14 Beit further ordained, That the corporeal punishment piovided for in 
the foregoing sect os shall consist in confining the body of the oftender within a bai - 

penalty. 

Con-resa then became impressed ^vitll the belief tbat tlie Roveni- 
mentStle Southern Stated could not be left with safety m the handa 
of those Avho had warred upon the Government, and nuhtary gov- 
ernments were placed oy«r tl.eseStates. The reconstrtiction acts veie 
parecljand theVolicy therein laid down was inaugurated throughout 

*^ColTtlu;tionalconventions,<.omposedof member.s electe^^^ 
izens without regard to race or color, were held ioi tlie. ])uii)osaor 
framing co.rstitutions in accordance with the a.ne.tde. ^ons .ttjtum 
/ / of the United States and the statutes thereunder, at.d Lou san^^^^ 
^^ in the spring of 1866. the constitution was accepted by the pt o o 
and he StatS officers, and aLegislature thereunder.wcre chosen, who 



u 



8 

entered upon their duties in July, 1868. In view of the fact that it 
has been charged that many of the State officers and members of the 
Legislatures were ignorant or dishonest, it may be well to recall right 
here that which has passed into history, that the democratic leaders 
and the democratic press throughout the State of Louisiana (and 
what was true of Louisiana was also true of most or all of the South- 
ern States) made a determined and bitter opposition to the white 
people taking any part in the election of members of the constitu- 
tional convention or the first Legislature elected thereunder. 

In many cases notoriously ignorant colored men were set up by the 
democrats as opposition candidates in order to turn the election into ridi- 
cule, while men who took part in or countenanced the constitutional 
convention, or who had acted with the republican party, were thi-eat- 
ened with ostracism, both business and social. In the summer of 1868 
a candidate for the Presidency was nominated by, each political party. 
The policy announced by Hon. Frank P. Blair in the famous Brodhead 
letter which secured him the nomination for Vice-President on the 
democratic ticket, and which became thereby virtually incorporated 
in the democratic party platform, gave new liopes to the democratic 
party of the South. 

Under the leadership of the worst element of that party, and ac- 
quiesced in or feebly opposed by the best element of the party, the 
secret order of the " Knights of the White Camelia," better known 
as the Ku-Klus Klan, was organized throughout the South for the 
purpose of carrying those States for the democratic party. The policy 
inaugurated was that of intimidation of all republicans, but more 
especially of colored republicans, and where intimidation failed, the 
midnight visits in disguise, whipping, or assassination were resorted 
to, and, as in the case of the Bossier Parish riot, the colored men were 
shot down like cattle. The repetition of the massacre of 1866 in 1868, 
in which the State officers and Legislature of Louisiana, as well as all 
leading republicans, would have been the victims, was only prevented 
by the result of the October elections of that year in Pennsylvania 
and New York. So thoroughly was the policy of intimidation carried 
out in Louisiana that in New Orleans the republicans as a rule did 
not dare to go to the polls. In some parishes in North Louisiana not 
a republican vote. was cast; in others ha^dng a majority of colored 
voters and a majority of republicans, one or two votes were cast. In 
many cases the colored men were coerced into joining democratic 
clubs, and were given " certificates," generally known as " protection 
papers," the possession of which it was understood was necessary to 
have immunity from outrage. 

In 1869 General Grant was inaugurated as President, and the pas- 
sage and vigorous enforcement of the Ku-Klux laws brought peace 
and security in a considerable degree to the republicans in the South. 
Since this, through the failure of crops, a new system of labor that 
moved at hrst with considerable friction, and an increase of debt due 
largely to the fact that the ignorant legislator was an easy prey to 
the scheming lobbyists, composed in manv instances of those who 
moved m the first business as well as social circles, but who were ever 
ready to denounce their tools in pharisaical style, the South has not 
had that material prosperity and advancement that could be wished. 

Notwithstanding all these drawbacks and the disasters resulting to 
Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana more especially, from the de- 
struction of the levees of the Mississippi Eiver, there has been, until 
the present year, a gradual improvement in the material prosperity 
of the South. Railroads have been built and manufactories have 



9 

been started to some extent. The absentee system on tlie itart of tlio 
. planters, which prevailed extensively prior to the war, has Ix-tMi loiind 
to be incompatible -with pros])erous i>hintini^, and the eontinucd pres- 
ence of the planter, enforced by the changed syst^-m of labor, has 
been productive of increased thrift, has tended to foster jiublic Bi)irit, 
and has caused a more home-like feeling to be develojx'd in t lie owner 
of the soil, -who has gradually learned to seek for comfort in a highly 
improved home on his plantation rather than in a summer whirl of 
pleasure at Saratoga or a brief winter season in the Crescent City. 

The " State rights " doctrine so generally accepted ius correct in 
the South in the ante beUiim days was opposed to internal improve- 
ments at the expense of the General Government, and previous to 
the "war the doctrine referred to was advocated strenuously on the 
floor of Congress, while the Representatives of more northern con- 
stituencies, not troubled in any great degree with this doetrine, when 
it assumed a practical shape meekly took the lion's share of tho 
appropriations for tlie improvements of rivers and liarl)ors, (a practice 
I may be allowed to remark they are perfectly willing to follow to 
this day.) There is a marked cliange in public opinion on tliis sub- 
ject throughout the South since the war. Petitions conu^ up here 
every year, through the press, through boards of trade, throngh com- 
mercial conventions, and through legislative memorials asking for 
Government ai(J forthe imi)rovemcntof its navigable streams, for the 
building of ship and boat canals, and for the imi)rovement of the 
harbors of the South from Norfolk to the Mexican border of the 
Gulf. Much has been lately said of the commercial decay of New 
Orleans during the past few years, and this decay like all otlier ills 
which afflict the body-politic has been charged to the republican 
party. 

Though it is popular to join in this clamor, there is not a banker or 
merchant of enlarged views in the city of New Orleans but knows to 
the contrary. There is not one such who does not know that New 
Orleans has lost a large share of her Texas trade because Saint Louis 
has extended her iron fingers through Missouri across the waste of 
the Indian Territory and into and through the heart of Texas to the 
thriving city of Galveston, while New Orleans has been vainly striv- 
ing to secure a railroad connection with Texas. It is a fact patent to 
everybody that the great weight of taxation that rests on New Or- 
leans has been caused from tlie fact that while her area is great and 
her expenses in the department of street improvements and repairs 
as great as that of other cities of similar area — yes, greater — on ac- 
count of the increased cost, because she pays in depreciated paper ; 
she has comparatively no manufactories or other concentrated capi- 
tal like other large cities from which to draw a large share of her 
revenues. It is also a well-known fact that capital has been deterred 
from going to Louisiana, and much that had gone has been driven 
away because of the constant political agitation, the incendiary tone 
of a portion of the public press which reflected the views of the dem- 
ocratic leaders, whose doctrine has been to accept nothing that has 
been done through the supremacy of the republican party, but to 
continue to strive for power by all available means with (the ultimate 
object to undo as far as possible all that has been done for the ad- 
vancement, politically and intellectually, of that class of our popu- 
lation who were formerly property and Avho now as freemen, consti- 
tuting as they do in a very large measure the bone and sinew of the 
State, are a valuable and indispensable portion of our population, and 
who, like all other laborers, are valuable in proportion as they are in- 
telligent. 



10 

In order that I may not be said to charge that which I fail to sus- 
tain, let ns for a moment glance at the liistory of the late political 
straggle in Louisiana in 1872. Besides the republican ticket there 
were nominated two other tickets, namely, a "liberal" ticket and a 
" democratic" ticket. The convention which nominated the " liberal 
ticket" was managed to a large extent by the friends of and in the 
interest of Governor H. C. AVarmoth, who was one of the leaders of 
the Greeley movement in the State and who was announced by the 
liberal party as their candidate for United States Senator. Colonel 
D. B. Penn, a prominent merchant and planter, was nominated for 
governor. The democratic convention was composed of the "straight- 
outs" who were opposed to both the republicans and the liberals, but 
more particularly to the latter. During the first weeks of the active 
campaign on the part of the democrats the biu'den of their song was 
denunciation of the liberal movement, but more particularly of its 
leader, Governor Warmoth, whom they charged with being responsi- 
ble for most of the evils under which the State suffered. While the 
campaign was in progress on this basis the wire-pullers of both the 
liberal and democratic parties, conscious that the policy they were pur- 
suing would result in defeat to both, were workingvigorouslyto secure 
such a union of both parties as would insure success. The negotia- 
tions were conducted in the spirit of barter, each claiming to have 
the largest political capital and desiring to secure the larger number 
of places on the " fusion " ticket. 

The democrats claimed to have the bulk of the voters, while the 
liberals had Governor Warmoth, whom they claimed controlled and 
who could manipulate the machinery of the registration and election 
laws in such a manner as to insure success. It was unblushingly claimed 
by f usionists that the control of the registration and election machin- 
ery was equal to twenty thousand votes. Finally a bargain was struck. 
The democrats were to have the governor, and the gubernatorial candi- 
date of the liberals was to have the second place on the fusion ticket. 
The party thus formed was to be called the " fusion" party, and in a 
few weeks the people who had listened to the denunciations hurled 
at Warmoth were bewildered or disgi;sted by finding their chosen 
orators and candidates campaigning as fusionists and Governor War- 
moth traveling uith them and of them — in fact, as one of the chief 
performers, if not the star of the combination. The people, the 
masses, did not understand it, and many do not to this day, but on 
the part of the leaders it was a piece of the most shameless and bare- 
faced abandonment of principle for the purpose of insuring them- 
selves success, whether a majority of the people indorsed them or 
not, that has ever been known in the history of political parties. 

Under these auspices the campaign progressed. Those who had 
denounced Warmoth as the chief villain now explained that it Avaa 
all a mistake, that he was the prince of good fellows, and united with 
him in denouncing Kellogg and the "custom-house gang." The re- 
jmblicans made a thorough canvass of the State, and besides being- 
united and enthusiastic, gained large accessions of voters from those 
Avho were disgusted at the bargain which united the democrats and 
liberals. The effect of the trade now began to appear in the removal 
of numbers of supervisors of registration and the api>ointment of well- 
known and reliable "fusionists" in their jdaces, and these were in 
many instances men in whose moral character the fusion party had no 
confidence and who it was apparent belonged to the class from whom 
are selected those wlio do the "dirty worlc" for a party when any is 
to be done. There was much to be done in tliie State of Louisiana if 



11 

the State was to be carried for the fusion ticket. Tlie ehavaeter of 
the frauds perpetrated by the fusion party iu tlicir .attfnii)ts to carry 
the State is pretty elearly shown by the foliowing aftKhivits' which 
are hereto a|ipended : 

Sworn siatemcnt of B. P. Blanchard, State mjiatrar of voters vmlcr Wari»oth. 

United States of Amekica, . 

District of Louisiana, State of Louisiana, city of New Orleans : 

Be 
before 
Louisiaii 
sworn, 
of 



5e it known that, on tl.is -2,1 <\:i.v of S,.,,t.Mnl».r, A. D. 187:!, V'r"»;,^''i',^Er'l 

iore the nnarvsi-ncd, a Ui,it,.(l Statrs .•ouinussion.M- \n and tor the distiiUot 

uSana dnlv conrnussion.Ml and ,sw.,n,, Krainard i;'^'^'"'; ''";•:;'';, 'TolS 

orn, d,.pos,.s an.l ,.ays : That ho was ap,..Mnt..l by llrnry L. \\ f'". ' -'i !^""^,- 

or the Stat.', of Louisiana, to the oth.'O ol Stato rr^.strar ''VT^V;,;, ^'.^fsh of Or 

virtue of said orti.'r, ex offu-io suiUTvisor ul iv-istraUon jn and f •;'''• ''rtn to 

leans- that hr tilh-d the sail ol ico during' tlie years 18,0, IHil, and 1H,_; tliatin tlio 

^1?.' ;,'.., .1,.. .VMS in foil noliti.al svoumtliv with the liberal no-v.'n.ent, and 



last-named year h.' was in full ]iolitieal syiupatliy 




respecti 

'^a.'n'fnrtlui^^^of'n^is^eme, he caused a careful conynlation to lu, nja.lo 




^l "t^ ?SJ^^S^^^^ ^ion^lnc^ in which the deceased was 
retistered'^erVnS- that, instead of carrying out to the ull le ter t, pro^as^ons 
of section 7 of the reoistration law above refeiTcd to, he causetl to De oiascii 
from the lists of registered voters only the names of such deceased electors as were 
wen known in the community, and in cases where the deceased was an obscure 
persona °e (a large majl^^Jty of tile whole number being con.posed of such ^o caused 
?o be made out a dui-Jucate registration certificate u. ins ^f^'^^^^^t^. 
tained and used at the general election, as liereinaft<r set toith; that tor ""» I'"^ 
TOsehecauSobeprTnted fmi simUies oi the blank torm.s ot duplicate registra^ 

rrceitmcates use^ in 1870, which .;ere in %;li«'^'-:;f f *^ f ° ..V?,:/ name^^^^^^ 
iTitended to be used iu 1872, in order to have them hlled up with the names oi 
deSede?ect«rras^bove stated; that the number of dupbcate certificates so 
filled up for the purpose aforesaid was as follows, more or less : 

For the — 70 

First ward '''\ g 

Second ward " i 24 

Third ward ..'.'.'. 4 

Fourth ward 11! 61 

Fifth ward ! ! . ! 1 ! 52 

Sixth ward .'.".'.".'.'.. 69 

Seventh ward 1..!.". !!. 35 

Eighth ward .'..'.*. 47 

Kinth ward ! ! ! 1 51 

Tenth ward - '. ". 44 

Eleventh ward oj 

Twelfth ward 13 

Thirteenth ward " ^ 

Fourteenth ward 

655 

names of flctl?ious person,, were, and that he obtained I^o««e•ss^onof so^mo t_^^oUlou. 



12 



session of persons In the interest of tlie fusion party, he instructed the assistant 
supervisors of registration not to erase such fictitious names from theboolcsin cases 
where he had confidence in those oflicers, but in cases where he had reason to suspect 
the fldslity of any assistant supervisor to the fusion cause, or to believe that any 
of them would not assist in or abet such manipulation, he prohibited them from 
making any erasures whatever, reserving that work for himself or assigning it to 
some confidential clerk or confidential agent whom he could implicity trust, as will 
more fully appear by the documents hereto annexed, and marked A and B. 

Deponent further says that he was aware of the existence of large numbers of 
fraudulent naturalization papers issued in 1868 by the clerks of district courts in 
the parish of Orleans and other large parishes, and that in 1870, in his circular of 
instructions to supervisors of registration, he directed them not to register any 
person naturalized between July 4 and October 24, except such as were naturalized 
' in the first au(l second district courts of the parish of Orleans ; that the number 
naturalized between the dates above cited was reported by his predecessor, Hon. 
William Baker, chairman of the board of registration, in his report to the General 
Assembly, dated New Orleans, January 10, 1869, as follows : 

Table showing the number of persons registered in each ward (First excepted) 
of the parish of Orleans who were naturalized between July i and Octo- 
ber 24, 1868. 
rirst ward, (no record.) 

Second ward 538 

Third ward 903 

Fourth ward 320 

Fifth ward 989 

Sixth ward 359 

Seventh ward 423 

Eighth ward 484 

Ninth ward : 540 

Tenth ward 438 

Eleventh ward 333 

Eightbank, (Algiers) 161 

Total 5,488 

And that the result of these in.structions not to recognize the validity of such nat- 
uralization was made manifest by the result of the registration of naturalized for- 
eigners in 1870, tBe registration for Orleans Parish in that year being entirely new 
and complete. 

Table showing the nuniber of persons naturalized between July 4 and Ocio- 
tober 24, 1868, and July 4 and October 28, 1870, registered in 1870. 



Precinct or ward. 


1868. 


1870. 


Total. 


First 


96 

142 

223 

100 

134 

65 

150 

178 

197 

107 

106 

54 

26 

15 

43 


70 

145 

149 

53 

141 

58 

85 

110 

93 

102 

87 

46 

18 

7 

11 


166 




287 


Third ,.... 


372 


Fourth 


153 


Fifth 


275 


Sixth 


123 




235 


Eighth :.. 


288 


Ninth 


290 


Tenth 


209 




193 


Twelfth 


100 


Thirteenth 


44 




22 


Ff teenth 


54 






Total 


1,636 


1,175 


2,811 







As will more fully appear upon pages C, 7, 8, and 9 of a report to the General As- 
sembly of Louisiana, by tlie deponent, as State registrar of voters, dated January 31, 
1871, a printed copy of which is hereto appended, and marked C. That the reason 
for such ruling by the deponent in 1870 was, that he knew that tliese naturalization 
papers, fraudulently issued, were in the liands of persons inimical to the republican 
party, with which xJarty he was at that time politically affiliated ; that the judges 



13 



and clerks of courts were in 1868 entirely, 
members of the (lemnoratic party, ami that 
the use of said fiaiiduleut iiatuiali/.ation \ 
repeated the iuHtnictious tOMupei-visorH of i 
of iustruetious in ls7v!, pa^es 7 aud (^, a (iiii 
and marked I); but, uixfti thefiisiou (d' tlir 
knowing that large uuuibeis of said fraud 
hands of fusionists, aiid could l)e used iu tl 
his pre\iou8 instructiouH, as will auiicar 
hereto annexed aud uiaiked K, aud tliat tin 
that a large number of such papers fraudu 
tering iu 1872. 



and in 1870 with only two excoptions, 
he coiiseiiueTitly endeavored to prevent 
apers by the deuiocratic; party ; that he 
(gistration iu this regard lu his pamphlet 
itcd ciipy of which is liereuiito annexed 
lil)eial aud deuiiicialic jiartics, deponent. 
ulcut naturalizatidu jiapeis were in the 
If interest of tile fusKui paity, revoked 
by circular No. .^i, issue(l by dej)onent, 
■ result (d' sucli cliauge in his ruling was 
Icutly is.sucd were used by i)ersons regis- 



Tahle shoicing the ntimhcr of persons naturalized between July 4 and October 
24, 1868, and JhIj/ 4 and Oetober 28, 1872, added to the registry lists in 
1872, in each election precinct, parish of Orleans : 



Precinct. 


1868. 


1872. 


Total. 


First 


114 

131 

242 

93 

187 

92 

75 

129 

175 

143 

102 

44 

12 

20 

63 


140 

202 

395 

- 212 

421 

228 

183 

173 

202 

159 

118 

56 

39 

29 

64 


254 




333 


Third 


637 


Fourth 


305 


Fifth 


608 


Sixth 


320 




253 


Eighth 


302 


Ninth 


372 


Tenth 


302 


Eleventh 


220 


Twelfth 


100 




51 




49 




127 






Totals 


1,622 


2,621 


4,243 





And deponent firmly believes that a large number of the naturalization papers 
issued in 1872, to the extent of two thousand at least, were improperly so issued. 

Deponent further says that he instructed the assistant supervisors of registra- 
tion for the parish of Orleans that in all cases where persons who had been regis- 
tered in 1870, in other wards than those in which they resided in 1872, and who 
should apply for registration on account of change of residence, to require such 
persons t« surrender the certificates of registration of 1870 to them, (the assistant 
supervisors,) to be by them returned to tlie office of deponent. State registrar of 
voters, ostensibly for the purpose of cancellation and erasure on the books, but in 
reality to be preserved and voted on at the ensuing general election, in the manner 
hereinafter set forth, and that this course was pursued and persisted in notwith- 
standing the formal protest of the United vStates supervisors of election, one of 
which is hereto annexed and marked F. The certincates of registration so re- 
turned deponent caused to be examined and sorted out in his office, and such as 
were not marked or checked in any way by the United States supervisors of elec- 
tions were presei-ved to be voted upon in the wards from which they were origi- 
nally issued, and oidy such were returned to the ward officers for cancellation and 
erasure as were deeuu-d luitit or unsafe for use by repeating voters, as is more fully 
shown by the aflidavit of II. L. Downes, Imreto attached and marked G. The num- 
ber so canceled was to the following extent only : 

First precinct 80 

Second precinct 43 

Third precinct 101 

Fourth precinct '9 

Fifth precinct, record lost ^ 

Sixth precinct 115 

Seventh precinct f3 

Eighth precinct, record lost 



14 

Ninth precinct 14 

Tenth precinct 36 

Eleventli precinct 103 

Twelftli precinct 11 

Thirteenth precinct 

Fourteenth precinct 12 

Fifteenth precinct 2 

Total 579 

V,^ Deponent furtlier says that lie also instructed assistant supervisors of registra- 

/'-— tion in tlie pariali of Orleans that whenever they found upon the registry of 1870 

/ names of persons nialsing their marks, ( + ,) and supposed to be negroes and not 

' known personally to them, to procure two persons, registered voters in their 

respective wards, to prepare a list of such names and make an affidavit that they 

" had reason to believe and did believe" that the persons named therein were not 

residing in the ward on the tenth day preceding the election, and the assistant 

supervisors were directed to erase fiom the lists of voters all names put down in 

said affidavits; and this was done, although the law made it the duty of the board 

of metropolitan police commissioners to cause a canvass of the city of Kew Orleans 

' and prescribed that the names of such persons as should be reported by them as 

" not found " onJi/ should be strielveu from the registry list. Such affidavits were 

made in form similar to the one hereto annexed and marked H, and resulted in the 

erasure from the books of the following number of names, supposed to be all col" 

ored men, namely : 

First ward 182 

Second ward 36 

Third ward Vr-. 280 

Fourth ward 309 

Fifth ward 223 

Sixth ward 353 

Seventh ward 386 

Eighth ward 164 

Ninth ward 122 

Tenth ward 1 12 

Eleventh ward 40 

Twelfth ward 153 

Thirteenth ward 51 

Fourteenth ward 17 

Fifteenth ward 144 

Total 2, 4'2 

In this connection see affidavit of James Parker, hereto annexed and marked. 

That this course was pursued notwithstanding the fact that the board of police 
commissioneis did, in obedience to the provisions of section 50 of the election law, 
cause a canvass of the city to be made, (as will appear by the document hereto 
annexed and marked I,) and reported the names of persons "not found," and said 
names were by said deponent published in the official journal of the city and State, 
but that no names were erased from the list in consequence of such reports, but 
solely iipon the affidavits above mentioned. Deponent further says that from the 
outset of registration in 1872 he was in constant commnnication witli tln' demo- 
cratic and liberal campaign committees, and conjointly witli them iustiiutcd tlie 
supervisors and assistant supervisors of registration tlirougliouttlie State ver1>ally, 
in additicta to written or printed instructions from time to time, to facilitate in 
every manner the legistration of all white men known or supposed to be in favor 
of the fusion candidates, and to throw every possible obstacle in the way of colored 
applicants for registration, such as requiring them to produce two witnesses to 
prove their identity and residence, delaying them by uiineeessaiy i|uestions and 
by other means, and that in compliance witli such virhal iiistnutions the assis- 
tant supervisors of registration would and did ticeiueiitly s(;lect fi-oiii the crowd 
of applicants for registration white men known to them as democrats or fusionists 
and register them, and then dose their othces liefoie tlie hour presciilied l)y law, 
on the pretext that they were summoned to court or some similar excuse, thus leav- 
ing the colored men, many of whom could ill atibrd to lose their time, unregistered. 
The result of such instructions, and action consequent thereon, was the addition 



15 



J 



to the registry list of a largo excess of whites over colored men, as appears from /' 

the following tiible : , , , . , i • i_ „ / 

Table Hhowxnq the uumher of white and colored vote,->^ added loU^ re<jisha- , 
iration of the2}ansh of OrlemiH, in euch precinct, in lH/2. 



Ward. 



First 

Second 

Third 

Fourth 

Fifth 

Sixth 

Seventh 

Eighth 

Ninth 

Tenth 

Eleventh . . . 
Twelfth.... 
Thirteenth . 
Fourteenth . 
Fifteenth... 



Grand total . 



324 


1,703 


418 


2,090 


882 


3,400 


407 


1,550 


597 


2, 309 


474 


1,833 


6:}8 


1, S94 


212 


1,115 


201 


1,334 


442 


1, 921 


404 


1,082 


lit2 


785 


l.')4 


465 


125 


269 


299 


757 



5,769 



23,107 



Being entirely out of proportion to the Tdative number of the two races in the 

to reprLent the republican mrty.suc^Jisrefum 

permission to remain behind the i'"!'"-'?^,^"' '^J^'\,V.mler of ne<noes were waiting 
kirther instructed that whenever any cou«i^erablo num^^^^ to'lho action of the 
for registration they should /'^^f,„«?»''^, J' V^^i^'^'require^^^^^^^ enforcement 

United States officials and I'^f "«« *« «"^M"* *?„*7^ supervisors and 

acts, which conduct frequently resulted J^ ^f^^^ .*."Sf„''i^r^e m of voters be. 

theclosina of their offices.sometimes forthe entneda^^^^ ^^^^ ^.,^ 

inethus deprived of registration. Ihat tnese '"S^"'*:^', "f, ",^ M N O P K, 

fusion paity, and strono; P^i'tf ?»» thew f that onu e -ao^ commiini- 

from S:B. tackard, on behalf the I'^'P^^.^/^^^^.^^t" ,^^"5^ ^p,^ of ouc commis- 

cation, hereto annexed ''^'I'Vw tl e^xiuX pa^^^^^ deponent refused 

sioner at each poll to represent the i''!" \\V^ uVsw. r to said Packard, hereto at- 
to accede to the request, as will appear ,\>.« '"^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^. 

tached and marked W , that the «"">"! f«""^'/„;,,,^V^, .^to ^Hf""^ "i- ^^'1'"' 

answers, and should deenlequieklj . throughout the parishes were 

Deponent further says that the PO^^S P'a*^es ^'" "^ and w.re located as 
selected with the view to the convenience of /;^;°^i^;«,\Vi -hlM rlH-ods ehierty in- 
remotely and as difficult of Siccess as P"S8iblo fiom t^^^^^ „,i-hhoiiiood 

V habited' by colored men ; that wheueyer a pol ^^-^^ ^^f^^^ .' ,*;, hostilitf to colore.l 
" the commissioners were selected froni P«.yf°"^,7toii>>w colored elect- 

men and said commissioners were instructed to hinder anu ueiaj 
ors to the full extent of their power. (),l,.,nis he employed 

Deponentf urther says that in each ward of t^etvotA^^^^^^ ,h„1 wlu.m he did 
persons whom he intended to appon.t cpmnu.M- -n 1 - ^^^ .__ ,^^^^,^^^^ 

subsequently so appoint, whoso i"«truc ions were to p ai .^^^ .^^ ^^j_.^.,^ 

of the names of all deceased Pf ^sonS' bem-^ oto^^ ^^^ prepared by 

^^:^^^eS d^;;S^:tr^iat\S li:^ -eTd^Jed U, b.^., epared upon paper 



/ 



' 16 

similar to tliat provided for keeping the written lists of voters at the election, as 
required by section 11 of the election law of 1870, and they were insti'ucted to strike 
from the poll-list in advance the names of such persons, as required by section 12 
of tfte above-quoted law. Said commissioners were also instructed to see that a 
number of fusion ballots corresponding to the number of names thus erased from 
the lists were placed in ballot-boxes in their repective polls, so that the written 
lists and the number of ballots should tally exactly at the counting of the votes ; 
they being left to devise their own mode of carrying out these latter instructions, 
but, the better to accomplish the object sought, they were instructed to open their 
polls in advance of the hour designated bylaw, so that when voters presented them- 
selves at the regular hour it should appear that some votes had already been cast ; 
and these commissioners were also instructed to insert the list previouslj' prepared 
as aforesaid, sheet by sheet, among the lists kept during the day, making the run- 
ning numbers correspond ; and that these instructions were obeyed to the letter in 
every instance, and that the names of 855 deceased persons, obtained and prepared 
as before related, were so erased and fraudulently marked as voted, and the same 
number of fusion tickets were thus voted at flie said election. 

Deponent' further says that, by a forced and strained interpretation of section 41 
of the registration law, he appointed about three thousand persons in the city of 
New Orleans, who were known to be -vaolent partisans of the fusion party, among 
them several of bad and dangerous character, to act as " peace officers, to take 
charge of the ballot-boxes in the city of New Orleans, as further appears from the 
documents hereto annexed, and marked X, T, and Z, and that to some of these men 
were intrusted the certificates of registration of 1870, which had been surrendered, 
by persons who had removed to other wards, and collected and sorted out as herein- 
before described, and also with such fraudulent certificates of registration of 1870 
as were in the possession and control of himself, or of persons in the interest of the 
fusion party, for the purpose of voting thereon, and that said certificates of regis- 
tration were so voted on, to the knowledge of deponent to the extent of 3,500 votes, 
as is also shown by the deposition of Walter S. Long, hereto attached and marked 
AA. 

Deponent further says that the supervisors of registration appointed throughout 
the State were all in the interest of the fusion party, and were selected not only on 
that account, but because of their supposed willingness and ability to carry the elec - 
tion in favor of that party, by whatever manipulation was possible and necessary 
under the registration anil election laws; that in parishes where there was known 
to exist a large republican majority, the supervisors were, in most cases, persons 
sent from New Orleans to the parishes in which they were to act, and men well 
known for their personal recklessness and unscrupulous character, and familiar 
with all the machinery used in manipulating elections and the powers conferred 
upon supervisors of registration by the laws ; that said supervisors were instructed, 
verbally or otherwise, to impede in every possible manner the registration of colored 
voters, in such ways as closing their offices when large numbers of negToes were 
waiting for registration, alleging that they were out of blanks when, in truth, they 
were anii)ly supi)lied ; removing their offices to remote points; notifying only white 
men of their location, and giving no notice to the negroes ; giving notice of the lo- 
cation of the office at one point, and establishing it at another without notice; estab- 
lishing polling places without due notice, and so as to facilitate the casting of a large 
fusion vote, and obstructing the voting of republicans, especially of colored men ; 
that to further carry out the before-recited determination to carry the election at 
any risk, deponent, without authority of law, directed that a new and complete 
registiation should be made in the parishes of East Baton Rouge, West Baton Eouge 
Saint James, and Tangipahoa, each of which parishes was known to contain a large 
republican majority, and a large excess of colored over wliite population, on the 
pretext that the books of previous registration could not be found, said books hav- 
ing been pre\'iously purposely made way with. In tliis connection deponent refers 
to the documents hereto attacned, and marked, respectively, AB, AC, AD, AE, AF, 
AG, AH, AI, AK, AL, AM, AN, AO, AP, AQ, AR, AS, AT, AU, AV, AW, AX, 
and AY, to show both the manner in which the new registration was ordered and 
inaugurated, and the spirit in which it was canied out. The result of this action 



17 



■will be made evident by a ceniparison between tlie repstration and election sta- 
tistics of 1870 and 1872, as shown by the tollowing statement: 

Comparaiiretahle of s1(i1isiicn of rqilstraiion andeUciion \n the parlnhvH of 
Eaxt Baton Rouge, West flat on llou<je, Saint Jamen, and Tangipahoa, in 
the years 1^70 and 1872. 





Registered in— 


Republican vote in — 


Palish. 


1870. 


1872. 


1870. 


1872. 




3,099 
1,367 
3,498 
1, 8(i8 


3,048 
1,250 
2, 723 
1,530 


2, 440 

702 

1,873 

845 


1,168 




445 




843 




611 






Total 


9, 832 


8,557 


5,860 


3, 0(i7 







Thus showing a decrease of the number registered in 1872 from that of 1870, in 
these four nari-shes, of 1,275, and a falling oft' of the republican vote of 2,793, for 
that the lusioiiists registered their full vote there can be no doubt. 

Deponent further says, that in several cither parishes in which a large colored ma- 
jority existed, the opening of the book.s of registration was delayed by various 
means for a considerable period after the time prescribed by law, September 2. 
Thus in Carroll Parish, containing, in 1^70. a registered vote of 351 whites to 1,588 
colored, the reuistration was not opened until October 12; Iberville, not until Sep- 
tember 17; Saint .JauR-s, September 12; Xatchitoehes, September 17; Franklin, Sep- 
tember 18: AViun. St-i.tember 23; Caldwell, September 26; Cameron, September 30; 
Vernon, Sejiteuiber 2U. 

Deponent further says, that in the parish of Saint Landry, one of the largest 
and most pojmlous parishes in the State, and in which the supervisor exhibited a 
desire to atibrd fair facilities for reuistration to all classes, he was constantly 
checked and hindered bv directions to move his office to points remote from the 
districts in which the negro population had a respectable ratio, and to establish 
his office at places where there were but few negi'oes or white republicans, as will 
appear by the documents hereto attached, and marked AZ, BA, BB, BC, BD, BE, 
BF, BG, BH. BI. BK. 

Deponent further states that he instructed the snper\-isor of registration in the 
several parishes to annov and resist the United States supervisor of election in 
every manner possible, aiid that in most of the ]>aiislies his instructions were car- 
ried out and legistration thereby greatly delayed, especially in the parish of West 
Feliciana, a verv stroua: republican paiish, as will appear by tlu- chiyuuicnts attached 
hereto and marked EL, BLL, BM, BX. BU, BP, B(,», BR, BS, BT, and BU. and in 
regard to other parishes by those papers annexed and marked BV, B\\ , BX, BY, 
BZ, and B2. ^ ^ 

Deponent further says, that besides the selection of supervisors on account of 
their political bias, many of them were appointed who were candidates for office 
on the fusion ticket at the general election of Xoveniber 4, 1872, for the purpose of 
stimulating them to extra exertions to cause themselves to be returned, and thus 
contrilmte'to the general success of the entii-e fusion ticket; that auion|; the num- 
ber J. H. Simmons, of Claiborne, was a candidate for police juror ; G. H. Guptill, 
of Cameron, was a can»lidate for poli-ce juror; R. T. Carr, of De Soto, was a candi- 
date for sheriff; G. D. Wells, of Livingston, was a candidate for recorder of his 
parish ; P. E. Lored. supervisor's clerk for Lafourche, was a candidate for justice 
of the peace ; E. L. Pierson, of Katcliitoches, was a candidate for the house of rep- 
r*esentatives ; I. G. P. Hoev. of Pwapides, was a candidate for the house of repre- 
.sentatives; A. Chalaire, of Placiuemmcs. was a candidate for sherift'; A. Estopenal, 
of Saint Bernard, was a candidate for sherifl'; G. AV. Coombs, of Saint John tlie 
Baptist, was a candidate for justice of the peace ; P^. C. "U'hite, of Saint Mary, was 
a candidate for senator ; Charles E. Steele, of Tensas, was a candidal.- fur clerk of 
court, (his brother being a candidate for district attorney;) George L. Stinson, of 
Winn, was a Candidate for recorder ; Thomas Dutly, assistant supervisor tourth 
ward, Orleans,' was a candidate for clerk of the fnurth district court ; Thomas 
Fernon, same for seventh ward, Orleans, wasa candidate fiurepn sentative; W. C. 
Kensella, same for ninth ward. Orleans, was a candidate for reiireseutative ; and 
C. ~ -. - .. . --- 

coiut 



enselia, same ror nintu war<i, uiieaus. wasa eitnuiuaic iui nri.i'..o..u.u^..^, —« 
C Piper clerk thirteenth ward, was a candidate for constable seventh justice 
nut ; all of whom were elected by their own count, except Thomas Fernon ; that 



2m 



18 

the questiou beiug raised whether survisors were elegible as candidates, and vice 
versa, depoueut received from the chairman of the democratic campaign committee 
the communication hereto annexed and marked ('A , to which he returned the reply- 
hereto annexed and marljed CB ; and that this discussion was made to encourage 
supervisors to become candidates, and to return themselves elected. 

Deponent further says that he issued from time to time circulars of instructions 
to supervisors and assistant supervisors of registration tor their observance and 
guidance, copies of vrhich are hereto annexed and marked CC, CD, CE, CF, CG, 
OH, CI, CK, and. in adilition thereto with a view of preventing the United States 
supervisors of ekctions and other otiicials appointed and acting under the enforce- 
ment acts of Congi ess from taking any cognizance whatever of the results of the 
election for .State and parish oiKcers, he issued to all supervisors of registration a 
confident ial letter of instructions, hereto annexed and marked CL, which, for greater 
security and secrecy, he caused to be sent to them by the hands of ti-ustworthy 
agents, who were jiiiviously instructed by him as to the details necessary to be 
worked up to ac( oiii])lisli the object aimed at, namely, the success of the fusion 
ticket at the general election; and that he prepared and .supplied to the supervisors 
and assistant supervisors of registration throughout the State two sets of blank 
■forms of tally-sheets, statements of vt)tes, &c., one set of which was to be used for 
returns for presidential electors and members of Congress, and the other for State, 
parish, and munici])al officers only, with the intent of manipulating the vote for 
the latter candidates that those running on the fusion ticki-t should lie returned 
and declared elected in parishes where the vote showed a majority cast for the 
republican candidates for Congress and presidential electors. 

Deponent further says, that in order more eftectually to defeat and counteract the 
eflect of the supervision and inspection of the registration and election by the 
United States officials, he sent to all supervisors a telegraphic dispatch, a copy of 
which is hereto attached and marked CM, which instructions de]>oiicnt believes 
were faithfully carried out in a majority of the parishes, with the etiect of exclud- 
ing a large republican vote at the election. 

Deponent further states, that in the parish of Terre Bonne, containing a lar^e 
excess of republican voters, the supervisor of registration originally ajjpointed, Mr. 
C. A. Buford, a resident of the parish, having been taken sick, he was superseded 
by F. J. Stokes a resident of New Orleans, who was familiar with all the advantages 
possible to be taken by supervisors of registration under the State laws : that said 
Stokes upon assiuning charge of the office, gave out that he had no blanks, though 
an ample supply had been furnished to lum as is .shown by dociuuents hereto 
attached, and marked CN and CO ; and that said Stokes without warrant of law 
did issue a notice to all registered voters of that parish to coihe forward and sub- 
mit their certificates of previous registration to his in.spection to be countersigned 
or vised, else they woiUd not be allowed to vote on them, as is .shown by a jjrinted 
copy of his notice hereto attached and marked (_'P : and that the .*aid Stokes did in 
this and many other ways hinder and impede the registration of ri'])ul)li(an voters ; 
and that said Stokes knowing that a large republican majority had been cast at the 
election of November 4, 187-2, did fail and refuse to make a rount of the ballots in 
three or more boxes, but fled to the city of New Orleans, having said boxes un- 
counted, alleging intimidation, but nally'with the avowed puipose and design of 
having the return of saidiiarish thrown out by thi' returning board, and the repub- 
lican vote cast con^^('<lUl■ntiy excluded fiom the count, which was doni' ; and further- 
more, that the gem-ral bearing and di-nieanor of said Stokes toward republicans 
v/as oveibearing and arbitrary in the extreme, so much so that it was made a sub- 
ject of complaint by parties in the fusion interest to the effect that Stokes's manner 
and action were injuring the party. 

Deponent further says, that in the pari.shof Madison, which always contained a 
large excess of republican voters, no returns of the election were matle according to 
law, but that the sui)ervisor of registiation, W. J. Cahooni?( a resident of New Or- 
leans, sent to the parish because of his known skill in the manipulation of elections, 
knowing that there hail been a large republican majority cast at the election, fled 
the parish at night, and came by rail to New Orleans, Ininging with him only frag- 
mental mi'inoianda. such as tally-sheets, check-lists, &c., from which he proceeded 
to fabricate his returns of the election of that parish ; that for that ])urpose depo- 
neutfurnished the said Cahoone with the necessary blanks and directed his clerk to 
instruct and assist the .said Cakoonein making out said fictitious returns ; that .said 
Cahoone prepared .said fraudulent returns in a room on (Tiavier near Baronne 
street, in the city of New Orleans, and made oath to them before -T. P. Montamat, at 
that time third justice of the peace for the parish of Orleans, having previously 
signed the names of the commissioners of election thereto, as bavin l; been sworn to 
before him in the town of Delta, pari.sh of Madison, as supervisorof the parish ; that 
said returns, as delivered to the returning board, did not exhibit the true vote cast 
in Madison Parish at the election aforesaid, but showed a de( tease from the actual 
republican vote cast of about 550 votes; and that .--aid Cahoone merely returned on 
said fabricated returns the vote for national and State officers, and omitted there- 



10 



from the vote cast for parish officers iii order that such officers might be aiipoiute-l 
by the governor, and thus prevent the republicau candulates, who were m rcaut.> 
elected, from obtaiiiiuu thiii ulliiis. .„ , ., , i ^,,1, 

Deponent further say.. th'aT in the parish of Iberville, also a parish largely repub- 
lican: the supervisor of r,-istrati,m. J. L. Tbarp, a resident ot New Orleans, and 
familiar with the manipulations .,f el,. lions, tind.ng that a laru-. republican ma- 
iorifry-had been cast at the ,-l., fion. iudueed tl..' nMum.,ssiomT.s ot rh'rtion to re- 
•fuse to sign the returns, all.'-ing iutin.i.lation tor the purpose ot Imvmg the re- 
turns of Election from that parish thrown out by tli,> r.lunun-bo;uMl and tlie \ote 
of the .said parish for all loeal ollicers, whi.h was •,'.-:«• i.pul.hcan o .-- <''«';,'"• ^^^ 
excluded and thrown out hv the, said board, asexpe,t.-,l and intended by sautihai p. 

Deponent further says that in the parish of Saint :Martin the s.ipervi.sor, (). l)e . - 
housiaye, ,ir., knowing that a majority of repubhean vote.s bad l.e.;i. 'j'';' ; ^ t ' 
election, abandoned his othce, leaving one box uncounted, alleging iiitiinidation amt 
armed interference of the negroes, in order to have the vote of that parisli ex- 
cluded by the returning board, as appears by the telegram hereto attacliea ana 

^Dewnent further savs that in the parish of Saint James the .supervisor originally 
appointed, D, F. MeMlle. being si.speeted by the fusion campaim committee ot 
favoring some of the republican candidates, was summarily removed, ami J •|'-/f oil- 
ing, a rSsideut of New (bleaus, was ai.p..inted in his plaee, and that said Goldiug 
knowing that the republiean ean.lblates had lere.ved a lar-e n,a,onty "t the vote 
cast at tlie election, failed to tiuLsh counting the vote, abandomii- tliiye or more ot 
his boxes and returned to Xew Orleans %vith the avowed intent of having the entire 
vote of the jiarish thrown out on account of intimidation, and the returning boartt 
didsoexcludctheentire vote of that parish for local ottic?is. „. ^,«,..,nf 

Deponent further states that the consequence otthe action of said ,super%nsoi3 of 
registration in the parishes of ^ladison, Iberville, Terre P«"Be,_ Saint Martin a^^^^^ 
Saint Jame.s is sliown by a comparison ot the number of votes registered and ot ^ otes 
cast in 1870 and 18T-:i, as follows : 

Comparative table of statistics of reqisfmiion and election in 1871) and 1872 
in the parishes of Madison, IhtrviUe, Saint Martin, lerVe Bonne, and 
Saint James. 



Parish. 



Iberville 

Madison 

Saint James. 
Saint Martin. 
Terre Bonne . 



Total - 



3,354 
2, 120 
2,498 
1.481 
3,891 

13, 344 



1,496 
1,269 
1,873 
525 
1, 422 



4,036 
2, 725 
2, 723 
1,961 



S ^ s s-i 






2,239 
1,756 
1,852 

718 
1,593 



6,585 1 11,445 



8,158 



2,239 

1,227 
843 



4,309 



* Not reported. 
Thus showing that with an increase of the number of registered voter.s in these 
parishes (Terre Bonne excepted, from which no reports were made to the 'leponent 
bv Stokes) of 1,992 voters, the republican vote, as returned by the Lynch board, 
was 3 849 greater than the same vote as counted in joint session of the fusion Legisla- 
tare and that the entire republican vote of two parishes, S;aint Martin and Terre 
Bonne, was not only totally excluded from the returns of the fusion returning board 
biit was also excluded in tlie count of the votes for governor and lientenant-governor 
KoTnt stsion of the fusion Legislature at Odd-Fellows' IJall, all of -b.ch was the 
natural consequence of the action of the supervisors of registration in said parishes, 

''"'olpl'lnf ftfrthL^Tta^t'es that in the parishes of Rapides and Xatchitoches. in 
which the registration of 1872 was new and coniplete, in consequence ot the forma- 
tion of the nlw parishes of Vernon and Red River from their territory, and m both 



20 

of which the supervisors were fusion candidates for the house of repi'eseutatives, 
the registration reported by them was as follows : 



"White. I Colored. 



Total. 



Rapides 

Natchitoches . 



1,719 i 1,629 
1, 517 1, 833 



3,348 
3,350 



As appears from the reports of said supervisors hereto annexed, and marked CE, 
CS. and that the retuins of election as made by said supervisors, namely, J. G. P. 
Hooe and E. L. Pierson, were as follovrs : 



Kellogg. 



McEnery. 



P^apides : ' 1,169 

Natchitoches ' 550 



1,960 
1, 250 



Showing manifest frauds in those parishes of about 700 vote.s in Kapides and of 
about 1,200 in Natchitoches, (in favor of the fusion ticket,) as it has been well 
established by the testimony taken before the committee of the "United States 
Senate, and by other ample evidence, that very few colored men voted the fusion 
ticket. The manner in which these frauds were accomplished is clearly set forth 
in the report of said Senate committee, pages 306, 307, and 308. 

Deponent further states that in the parish of 'Webster the super^'isor of registra- 
tion, E. C. Blight, in carrying out the instructions received fiom the deponent, 
refused to subiiiit to the insi)ection of tlie United States supervisors of election, as 
is shown by the testimony taken before said Senate committee, anil to be found on 
page 12 of "their leport, and the documents attached hereto and marked CT, CU, 
the result of which action was that said supervisor of registration made the 
returns of the election in that parish to the returning board as 977 for McEnery 
against 622 for Kellogg, while tbe report of the United States supervisors shows a 
vote of 377 for McEnery against 824 for Kellogg, a ditference against the republican 
votes cast of 202 votes. 

Deponent further says that in the parish of Morehouse, at poll No. 4, at which a 
republican majority was cast, the box was tampered with bcfinc it was counted, so 
that when it was opened more ballots were found in the box than tliere were name.s 
on the written list required by section 11 of the election law, the intention of the 
supervisor of registration being tohave that box thrown out and have a small fusi(m 
majority in the parish for the State ticket of some 83 votes ; otherwise there would 
have been a republican majority in the parish of about the same number. 

Deponent further says that iii the parish of Jelferson the box from the poll held 
atCampI'ara])et (or Colcord's) was. either while en route to the ofhce of the super- 
visor ot registration, at the court-house of said parish, or after ha^-ins been dejjos- 
ited there, opened orotherwise tam]>ered with and fraudulent fusion 1 >alli its dt'iiosit ed 
therein to the number of about 400, to replace an equal number of republican lial- 
lots taken out which were known to have been voted, which is fiuther .shown by 
the docirments hereto annexed and marked CV and CW. 

Deponent furtlier says that in the parish of Claiborne the supervisor of regis- 
tration. J. E. Scott, being suspected of complicity A^itli the repuldican candidates 
in that parish and congiessional district, was renioved from office, and one J. H. 
Simmons appointed to replace him: that said Scott did not turn over to said Sim- 
mons the records of his office, but that said Simmons did, ueveitheless, hold the 
election in the parish of Claiborne without books or other formal evidence of hi» 
official position, and did conduct the said election without poll-books, poll-lists, or 
other necessary blanks reqiiired by law to be used, as is shown by the documents 
hereto annexed and marked C W and CWW. 

Deponent fui-ther says that in addition to instructing verbally the commission- 
ers of election for the parish of C>rleans, he issued for their guidance the circular 
of instructions hereto annexed and marked CX. 

Deponent further says that in the parish of Orleans, besides the fraudulent and 
duplicated certificates of registration given to persons to be voted on. in tbe manner 
already described, duplicate ballot-boxes were provided for the diflerent wards, as 
follows: Two to the third ward ; two to the eleventh ward ; one to the thirteenth 
ward ; one to the foiuteenth ward ; two to the fourth ward ; two to the fifth ward ; 
two to the eighth w.ird; one to the fifteenth ward; labeled and marked ready foruse 



21 

in the same maniipr as those actualiy iisoil ou tlio <lav of t\\p cUH-tion, (sec deposi- 
tion of W. L. Catlin, hereto attached' and marked CZ ■) witli the intiMition of having 
.said boxes filled with a larso number of fusion ballots and a cKmparatively small 
number of r.^publi, an ballots, and of substituting ttiem fur thi> boxc-s actually used 
incases wlicre there was reason to suspect tliat said boxes contained a republican 
majority ; and deponent has reason to l)clievi% and does believe, tliat many, if not 
all, of said duplicate boxes wt^r^^ used fmrn cii( iinistances wliicli occurreil during; 
the night after the election, and during tlie countinjr of votes at Meelianics' Insti- 
tute ; and the manifest discrepan< y betwe<'n the fusion vote ami tlic republi- 
can vote in the boxes when opened, for instanci\ in the thiid wanl, poll No. 4, 
the vote as counted was 364 for ilcKniMv aj;ainst 9G for Kello^'j;, and there were 
80 more ballots in the box than nanus on the written list reipiired l)y section 
11 of the registration law; at poll Xo. ,'>, same ward, the vote as ei)unte<l was 
438 for MeKnery aL;aiust "2 for KeUoj;'.;. a totiiUy disiinijiortionate numln'i- for the 
locality wbeie the pull was lield. Both of these' boxes were counteil by the fusion 
returninj; board, although formal protests were tiled in each case by tlie United 
States supei'visors of eleeliuu. 

At pcdl Xo. -i. .same ward, which was located in a neighborhood densely popu- 
lated b.y negroes, the conijnissiouers placed 50 lepublican ballots in tiie \)os after 
the closing of the polls, so that when counted there were found St;') l)allc)ts in the 
box and but 310 names ou the written list, and the vote was for IJeKner.y 24, 
for Kellogg 3'iS: that in eonsecjueuce of these discrepancies and the large majority 
against their ticket, tlie fusion returning board excluded the count of this bos iu 
making their coni)>ilatiou of tlie returns. 

In the eleventh ward, ])oll Xo. 1, when counted, showed 311 votes for McEnery 
against 40 for Kelh)'.rg. altliough tliis box was located near the levee, where a 
large number of cobired laborers reside; and at poll Xo. 5, same ward, the vote 
was for McEnery 306, for Kellogg 100. The count of both these boxes wa.s al.so 
protested against by the Unitea States supervisors, and the figures are totallj' 
irreconcilable with the political complexion of any portion of that ward. . 

At poll Xo. 6, of the same ward, wliere a majority of republican votes had been 
cast, additional republican ballots were put in tlie box to cause a discrepancy 
between the number of ballots in the box and the number of names on the written 
list, and thus have the vote of that poll thrown out by the leturning board, and 
that the vote of said box was 115 for McEnery against 200 for Kellogg, and the poll 
was excluded by the fu.siou returning l)oard. 

In the tliirteenth and fourteenth wards circumstances do not point so clearly to 
the substitution of boxes as in the case of the two wards aljove citeil, but the infer- 
ence is strong that they were used, as the returns sliow a large reduction from the 
republican vote of IcTO, and a corresponding or greater increase in the democratic 
or fusion vote. 

In the fourth ward, which was largely republican in 1870, at poll Xo. 1, located 
in the immediate vicinity of the sugar-sheds and lower steanilioat laniHng, always 
thronged with colored laborers, the box contained 315 votes for McEnery against 
92 for Kellogg; at poll Xo. 8, same ward, the vote was for !MeEr.erv IrO, for Kel- 
logg 94. Xo notice was given for the location of the last poll until the morning of 
the election, and it was not found by the United States supervisors, representing 
the republican party, until noon. 

In the tifth ward, also heretofore republican by large majorities, poll Xo. 1, as 
counted, was 350 for McEnery against 118 for Kellogg; and poll Xo. 9, same ward,- 
237 for McEnery against 70 for Kellogg. These polls were situated at the two ex- 
tremes of the wan!, the former near the levee and French market, alwa.ys thronged 
by colored men. and the latter iu the rear of the ward, where but few persons live, 
and these principally colored market gardeners. 

In the eighth ward the box from i)oll X''o. 1, also located near the levee, and in 
the neighborhood of the old Pontchartiain Kailroad depot and the Port market, 
contained, for !McEnery 298, for Kellogg 24. The box from poll Xo. 4, same ward, 
contained, for MeEneiy 353 votes against 89 for Kellogg, and on the close of the 
polls, when the commissioners of election were bringing the box to Mechanics' In- 
stitute, the United States supervisor for the republican partv was tlirown out of the 
cab, and there is no doubt that the duplicate box was then substituted for the origi- 
nal one. 

Deponent further says that after the receipt of all the ballot-boxes of the parish 
of Orleans at Mechanics' Institute on the night of Xovember 4, 1872, he was about 
to proceed to make the count of the votes in the same manner as that in which he 
had already instructed the supervisors of registration in the country parishes to 
proceed, namely ; " To Cftunt theeleitoralaud congressional first, and then to deny to 
the United States officials the light of ^upervisou and insjieetiou of the count of "the 
ballots for State, parochial, and municipal officers," and had already caused several 
boxes to be opened and the counting of ballots commenced, when General James 
Longstreet presented to him the communication hereto attached and marked CT; 
that on receipt of said demand he at iirst declined to accede to it, and caused the 
boxes already opened to be closed and resealed and the coTinting suspended, but after 



consultation ■with prominent members of tlie fusion party and several interviews 
with General Longstreet and others representing the republican party, he finally 
consented to the conditions demanded, but that he did so for two reasons only, 
namely : First, that he feared armed iuteiferenceon the part of the United States 
authorities in the event of refusal or non-compliance with the demands or re- 
quests made upon him ; and second, that from his knowledge of the manner in which 
the registration had been conducted and his instructions as before narrated had 
loeen carried out, as well as fiom his knowledge of the number of fraudulent votes 
cast for the fusion candidates at the election, and the number of prepared boxes sub- 
stituted for genuine ones, he had so much confidence that the fusion ticket had 
carried the city b;^' a majority suiHciently large to more than overcome any un- 
foreseen failures in the country parishes, therefore he pref eiTed to submit to the 
inspection demanded rather than risk a conflict between the State and Federal 
authorities and jeopardize the .sticcess of his party. 

Deponent further says that, during the counting of the votes, which wp.s resumed 
on the morning of November 5, every possible obstruction was thrown in the way of 
the United States supervisors of election and others representing the republican 
party ; that they were discourteously treated in many instances, every advantage 
taken of them when absent even momentarily, and whenever they protested against 
any proceeding they were told that all protests must be made in writing before any 
attention would be paid to them, and when such written protests were filed they 
were taken possession of by deponent or his clerks and assistants and destroyed, or 
otherwise made way with, in order to prevent the returning board from having any 
knowledge whatever of the filing of such protests, and any action on the part of 
said board detrimental to the fusion interests in consequence thereof ; that said 
United States supervisors and other otficials were allowed admission into the hall 
of said institute only upon passes signed by deponent or his chief clerk, and even 
then were required to exliibit theii' commissions to the policemen on guard at the 
door for identification; that admi.s.sion was freely given to candidates for oflice upon 
the fusion ticket, and almost invariably denied to republican candidates, and every 
other possible studied annoyance ofiered to republicans and their friends and repre- 
sentatives. 

Deponent further says that in counting the votes of the parish of Orleans, a.ssist- 
ant supervisors and < omniissioners of election were instructed, when counting 
"scratched" tickets, that wlunever the nameof a fusion candidate was erased and 
the name of a republican candidate substituted therefor, that unU'ss the name sub- 
stituted corresponded letter for letter with the name of tlif repiililican candidate 
for the oflice voted for, as printed on the straight or regular republican ticket, such 
ballot was not to be credited to the said ( audidate. liut tallied as "scattering;" but 
whenever they found the name of a reimlilican candidate erased or scratched and 
the name of a fu.sion candidate substituted, the manner of proceeding was reversed, 
and the ballot credited to the fusion candidate without regard to the initials or 
orthography of the nameof such candidate, as printed on the regular fusion ticket, 
and that these instructions were in the majority of instances thoroughly and sys- 
tematically carried out. 

Deponent further says that from the facts and statistics before related in this 
deposition, it is shown' that the total number of votes gained to the fusion ticket 
in the parish of Orleans by means of fraudulent nianiimlation of registration 
papers, voting on the names of dead men, and by the snlistitutinn of duplicate and 
fraudulent ballot-boxes, amounted to 6,737 votes, divided as follows, namely : 
Number of duplicates issued in the names of deceased voters and voted on for 

the fusion ticket at the election ". . . 855 

Number of certificates of registration fraudulently issued in 1^170. and of cer- 
tificates of registration surrendeied by persons removed from the wards 
in which they vvere registered in lfc70 and voted upon for the fusion ticket 
in 1872..... 3,502 

Number of fusion ballots contained in boxes subsituted for the ones actually 

VLsed at the election, about 3, 181 

Against republican ballots placed in same boxes to avert suspicion 801 

Or a fraudulent majority of fusion votes in said boxes of 2, 380 

Total given to the fusion party by frauds 6, 737 

And that the loss in votes to the republican party by fraudulent means was 
3,010, divided as follows- 
Number of names of colored voters erased from the registry by fraudulent 

aflidavits, without sanction of law 2, 472:^' 

Number of republican ballots contained in two boxes thrown out by the fusion 

board on account of stuffing by the commissioners 538 

Totalloss to the reimbUcaii party by frauds 3, 01» 



23 

And that in the country parislios, so far as set forth l.v deponent in the foio<roing 
portions of this instrument, the rcimhlican vote was ivihicd hv tin- fiaiidiilent 
means hereinbefore narrated to the extent of abom it.-'tU votes, divided as follows: 
Republican votes excluded by fraud in tlie paiishes of East Baton Jiou^e, 
West Baton H(iuj;c. Saint .lames, and 'I'an^ipalioa. conseinieut upon the 

new registration ovden-d and iiia<le in Iliose iiarislies 2, 793 

Kepubliean votes east luit not eounled in the i)arislies of Iberville. Madison, 
Saint James, Saint Martin, and Terre llimne. in consequence of tlie refusal 
of the sujiervisors of re;;istration t<i cumit the votes, or the abandoning of 

the boxes by said supervisors, about 3, 849 

Republican votes east hut not returned as counted in the parishes of Xatchi- 

toches ami Rapides, about 1, 900 

Loss to republican vote liy fraud and violence in "Webster Parish, about. .. 202 

Loss to republicans by exclusion of poll 4, in Morehouse Parish, abotit 170 

Loss to republicans by exclusion of Camp Parapet poll, parish of Jetteison, 
left bank, about. ..." ^00 

Total reduction from the actual npublican vote, as shown or estimated 
above 9, 314 

Deponent further says that on the ni»ht of the 6th of December, 1872, his office 
of State registrar of voters was forcibly taken possession of by P. B. S. Pinchback, <y 
then lioldinsr possession of the building used as a State-house, and acting as gov- 
ernor of Louisiana: that in anticipation of such seizure deponent and liis clerk 
and employes had removed fiom said otiice such important papers, records, and 
documents as thev bad time to remove to a place of security, but in conse<iuence 
of the sudden manner in which such seizure was made he was foree<l to leave in 
the said office numerous jiaper-s, records, documents, and memoiamla, intelligible 
only to himself or his clerk, bearing upon the subject of frauds comuiitted at the 
general election of Xovember 4. l^T-J. in iiarishes otlier tlian tho^e iiiiliraeed in this 
deposition, and also containing details of frauds comuiitted in paiishes hereinbe- 
fore mentioned, for which the tigures are expressed apinoxiniately, and he has 
ascertained that said documents, papers, iSrc, were aeei<leiitally destroved in the 
confusion of art'airs existing at that time. And deimiieiit lieliives and avers that 
were those memoranda, papers, &c., now attaln.able he could exhibit and show fur- 
ther frauds conmiitted m several parishes not herein asseverated. I)e)ionent fur- 
ther says tliat he believes, .and has reason to believe, and knows that had not the 
fraudulent practices as above recited been resorted to and made use of by persona 
in the interest of the fusion party, and for the benefit and advantage of said fusion 
party as hereinbefore set forth, and had the election returns been properly and 
faiily made by the supervisors throughout the State, and had the large republican 
parishes which were thrown out uujustlv, unfairly, and for the]JUi|iose of reducing 
the republican vote, been counted, as they should have been, the candidates for 
presidential electors, members of Congress, and State officers uikju the iipublican 
national and State ticket would have shown to have been elected by a lari'e major- 
ity of the votes cast in the State at the election held on the 4th of Xovember, 1872. 
And deponent further says that he believes, has reason to believe, and knows that 
the republican national and State tickets received a considerable majority of the 
votes actually cast at the election held on the 4th day of November, A. D. 1872, in 
the State of Louisiana. 

B. P. BLAXCHARD. 

Sworn to and subscribed before rae on this 2d of September, 1873 ; and I hereby 
certify that the affiant, B. P. Blanchard, was State registrar of voters, &.C., diuiug 
the years 1870, 1871, and 1872. 

Witness my hand and seal at the city of Xew Orleans on the day first above 
named. • 

r. A. WOOLFLET, 
United States Commissioner. 

[XOTE.— The exhibits referred to are very voluminous and are omitted. They 
are mostly originals, and are on file with the depositions.] 



Sworn statement of Walter Snlh/ Long, chief clerk of the State registrar of voters. 
United States of Americ.\, District of Louisiana : 

Personally appeared before me Walter Sully Long, who^ being duly sworn, upon 
Ms oath states as follows : .,,•„-,. -r., t. j ..i. 

From March, 1672, to January, 1873, I was chief clerk to P.. P. Blanchard, then 
holdin<' the office of State registrar of voters for the State of Louisiana. In that 
capacity I was in the fullest confidence of my chief, and was aware of all and every 
transaction of a political nature in the ottice during the campaign of 1872. 



24 

The necessity of carrvins: tlii> olcction for the fusion party was frequently a mat- 
ter of discussion between Blanrhard, myself, and others, and a plan of operations 
was finally adopted at my susiuestion, aud carried out, as follows: 

1. The sexton's monthly returns of burials of persons over the age of twenty-one 
years were cartfully compiled by wards, the registration number ascertained aud 
noted, and a list made of them. 

2. A thorough examination was made of the registry books of 1870, in order to ascer- 
tain the number of names of fictitious persons registered in that year. In every ward 
where the persons having coutrol of these false registry papers were acting with 
the fusion party, these names weie used, but in wards where the supervisors of 
1870 were not acting in harmony wirli the fusion party, particular care was taken to 
prevent their using" the fraudulent papers, and to detect any attempt at .so doing. 

3. A system was established reiiuiriug all per.sons who had been registered as 
voters in 1870, aud who had subsequently removed, to deliver up their jiapers of that 
year before receiving certitiiates of registration in 1872. These were sent to the 
office of the State legistar of voteis every week, and were carefully sorted out by 
myself aud others, and all that showed no evidence of having been examined by 
the United States supervisors of election were set aside to be used by repeaters on 
election day. 

4. During the ten days preceding the election a list was made out by me of the 
registry numbers and names of the dead, removed, and tictitious persons before de- 
scribed, and given to each assistant supervisor of registration for the city wards. 

Two or more persons in each ward, who were to serve as commissioners of elec- 
tion, weie set to work making lists of those names upon sheets of paper similar to 
that designed to be used on the day of election in keeping the written list of voters 
required by law at each polling place. 

5. The poll-lists were printed, containing the entire registration of both 1870 
and 1S72. No erasures were made until the Saturday and Sunday preceding the elec- 
tion, when the nanii's that could not be made available fi>r the fusion cause were 
crossed ofi'iu Idaek i)en(il on the lists forcertain polls in each ward, and in number 
to correspond witli the written lists of names before alluded to. 

These iireliniinaiii'S having been completed, it was a mere question of manual 
dexterity on tlit- part of the commissioner's of election to get within the box a num- 
ber of ballots to correspond with the names crossed off in black from the printed 
lists and written in advance upon the tally-lists. 
The estimate of the number of votes required to carry the election was as follows : 
For the first ward, 500; second ward, 500; third ward, 1,000; tenth ward, 500; 
eleventh ward, 500; twelfth ward, 250; thirteenth ward, 100; fourteenth ward, 
50 ; making a total of 3,400 for the uptown wards ; and for the fourth ward, 300 ; 
fifth ward, 500 ; sixth ward, 500; seventh ward, 500; eighth ward, 600; ninth ward, 
tiOO; fifteenth ward, none ; a total of 3,000, and an aggregate of 6,401. To this must 
be added the number of papers to be voted on by "repeaters," which was estimated 
at 2,000. 

6. The number of fratidulent votes actually counted, and which can be proved by 
own te.stimony and that of other persons concerned, is — 

In the first ward ' 281 

In the second ward 243 

In the tliird ward 8i'3 

In the tenth ward 306 

In the eleventh ward 330 

In the twelfth ward 101 

In the thirteenth ward 98 

In the foui'teenth waid 26 

Total up town 2, 188 

In the fouitli ward 180 

In the fifth ward 155 

In the sixth ward 33b 

In the seventh ward , 

In the eighth ward 393 

In the ninth ward 244 

In the fifteenth ward 

1, 314 

Grand total 3,502 

Beyond this the papers given to repeaters were about two thou.sand. I cannot at 
present remember the exact number, but I think that fourteen hundred were 
given out to be used in the fiist, fourth, and sixth municipal districts, and six 
hundred to be used in the second and third distiicts. 

I further know and can produce, I believe, the men who acted as commissioners 



of election at the polls in each ward wlioro fraiululout votes were cast or coiintctl 
at the geueral election of Novortiber 4, lS7i2. 

"SVALTER S. LONG. 
Sworn to anil subscribed before nip this 4th dav of September, 1873, at New 
Orleans, Louisiana. 

F. A. WOLFLEY, 
United States Commissioner. 

Sivorn statement of Robert H. Chadhuurn. supervisor of registration of Saint Charles 

Parish. 
State of Louisiana, Citij of X'ew Orleans : 

Be it known that on this 4th day of September, A. D. 1373, personally appeared 
before the nndersiuued, a United States commissioner in anci for the district of 
Louisiana, duly commissioned and sworn, Robert fl. Chadbourn, of the State of 
Louisiftija, who, being first duly sworn, de])i)ses and says : That on or about the 
7th day of September, 1872, he was ap])('ii«tecl by (lovt'riior 11. C. Warmoth assist- 
ant svipervisor of registration in the parish of Saint Charles, in the said State of 
Louisiana: that on or about the Sid of October a communication was is.sued by 
Governor AVarmoth to one Boutte as assistant supervisor of rigistration for Saiiit 
Chailes in attiant's phice ; that attiant caiue to the city of Xcw OrU'aiis to see Gov- 
ernoi Warniotli resarding this matter; that Governor "WarmotJi tobl him that tho 
fusionists coniplaiued tliat he was a Grant man, and was not sutbciently in the 
fusion interests, and asked atliant what thejote was in Saint Charles Parish^ that 
affiant told him about 1,500 republican am" 300 democratic; that Governor "War- 
moth then asked him how much he could cut down Kellogg's majority in Saint 
Charles Parish ; that affiant replied he could cut it down several hundred ; that 
Governor Warmoth asked affiant if he could not cut Kelloiiu down to 300 majoi-ity, 
and affiant replied that he might do so; that Goveiiior Warmoth told affiant lie 
could do what he liked with tlie parisli ticket, but KeHogg must be beaten ; that 
Governor Warmoth promised affiant he wouhl Iviep him in his position if he would 
do what the fusionists wanted him to do in making up tlie returns of the election 
in Saint Charles parish ; that Governor Warmotli in this same conversation tohl 
affiant he wished Gibson to be counted in as member of Congress from this district, 
and Sheldon to be counted out ; that on the moining before the election, namely, 
Sunday, November 3, 1872, affiant was infoi-med tliat he liad been removed as assist- 
ant supervisor of registration of the parish of Saint Charles, and he immediately 
came to the city of New Orleans and had an interview with Governor Warmoth iii 
a room at the Saint Charles Hotel ; that Mr. Gibsmi was present during i)art of the 
interview; that Governor "Warmoth said that tlie fu.sionists were raising liell with 
liim for keeping affiant as supervisor; that in order to retain his position affiant 
must make strong pledge to work in the fusion interest in Saint Cliaih'S Parish, by 
carrying the election for them ; that affiant said he would do wluit lie could, but 
that there was a chief constable in the parish wlio did not woi k in liarmony with 
him ; that Governor Warmoth then gave affiant a blank commission for cliief con- 
stable, sa>dng affiant could appoint any one he pleased by just inserting his name ; 
that if affiant would work right and cut down the republican majority affiant 
should be appointed tax-collector of Saint Charles Pari.sh; that Governor "Warmoth 
further said lie could control any appointment in ilcEnery's gift, if he (McEuery) 
were elected governor; thataffiant asked if Governor Warmoth was sure thiit Mc- 
Enery would appoint him tax-collector, whereupon Governor Wamioth took affiant 
to McEuery in the same hotel, and introduced affiant as the gentleman to whom he 
(Governor Warmoth) had promised'the tax-coUector.ship in Saint Charles Parish 
in consideration of his services to the fusion party as supervisor of election ; that 
McEnery said it was all right. Affiant further says that he is and has always been 
a republican, and that he returned Saint Charles Parish as republican by 1,01)0 ma- 
ioritv, which was what the republican party was entitled to in said parish. 

KOBEET H--CHADBOUEN. 

United States of America, District of Louisiana .- 

On this 4th day of September, A. D. 1873, personally appeared before me Robert 
H. Cliadbourn, who. being first duly sworn, declares that the statements made by 
him in the foregoing written statement subscribed by him are all tiaie and correct. 

WILLIAM GRANT, 
United States Comtnissioner. 

Sworn statement of Henry L. Downs, clerk in the office of State register. 
"CTnited States of America, District of Louisiana: 

Personally appeared, this the 21st day of June, 1373, before me, the undersigned 
authority, Henry L. Downs, who, being duly sworn, deposes and says : That dur- 



'26 • 

ing the registration preceding the election of November 4, 1872, he was a clerk in 
the office of State registrar of voters for the State of Louisiana ; that during the two 
months of registration, certificates and duplicates of registration accumulated in 
said office ; they were collected by the assistant supervisors of legistration fif the 
different wards of the city of Xew Orleans ^om voters changing their residence 
from one ward to another, to whom a new certificate would be furnished and the 
old one forwarded to the office of the State registrar of voters, who was ex officio 
supervisor of registration for tlie parisli of Orleans, or city of Xew Orleans. These 
certificates and duplicates accumulated to the number of several thousand, and 
completely flllt-d a lar^e-sized ballot-box. 

Deponent further states that hi- assisted in assorting them according to wards and 
availability for use by repeating voters. Some were canceled as being considered 
unsafe to use, or as having been marked in some manner by the United States super- 
visors; others, (and the larger portion.) ujiward of two thousand, were retained in- 
tact to be used on the 4th of Xovember. l^'ti : and deponent fiu?ther states that it is 
his belief that they were so used. 

HEXRT L. DOWXS. 

Sworn to and subscribed before me on this 4th day of September, 1873, at Xew 
Orleans, Louisiana. 

F. A. TTOLFLET. 
Viiitcd States Commissioner. 

Sworn statement of Oscar F. Httnsaker. chairman of the fusion "Warmoth return- 
ing board, and Samuel ^L Todd, a member of the same board. (See canvass of fu- 
sion returns published in Senate rejjort, Pages 81, 82, and S3, purporting to have been 
signed by Hunsaker and Todd.) 
State of Lovislxxa, Citxj of Kevj Orleans: 

This day personally appeared before me. "William Grant, United States commis- 
sioner, Sainuel M. Todil and Oscar F. Hunsaker. residents of the State of Louisiana, 
who, being first duly swoi-n. depose and say : That they were members of the State 
senate of the State of Louisiana, sitting in the ilechanics" Institute on tlie yth day 
of December, 1872 : that afterward, to wit, on or about the lOtli day of December, 
1872, said deponents left the senate .sitting at the Mechanics' In.stittite, and united 
with the assemblage known as the ilcEuery senate, sitting at Lyceum Hall, in the 
city-hall building of the city of Xew Orleans ; that the senate of" the said McEnery 
assemblage proceeded to organize, and that on or about the date last named said 
senate proceeded to elect a returning board or board of canvassers, who were to cor- 
' rect, canvass, and compile the returns of election for State officers, presidential 
electors, &c., nnder the act approved by H. C. Warmoth, Xovember 20, 1872 : and 
said deponents, to wit, S. M. Todd and O. F. Hunsaker, together with S. M. Thomas. 
B. K. Forman, and Archibald Mitchell, were' elected as said board ; that the said 
board proceeded to organize by the election of O. F. Hunsaker, one of said depo- 
nents, president thereof; that the .said returns were then produced from trunks and 
carpet-bags in a small room, on an upper floor of the .Saint Charles Hotel ; that said 
returns were brought to said room by one O. D. Bragdon. who appeared to be in 
possession of the same ; that said returns had been opened, compiled, and canvassed 
liefore they came into the possession of said deponents and the other members of 
the board \ that although .said deponents did carefully examine said returns, and 
luade themselves cognizant of the nature of the same, and the mode and manner in 
which said returns were compiled, and the result sought to be shown, yet said de- 
}>onents neither jointly nor separately, nor in any way whatever, signed or author- 
ized any person to sign for them the purjiorted canvass of returns known in the 
congressional report on Louisiana att'airs as the "Forniau returns,'' dated December 
11, 1872, by which returns it was made to ajipear that .John McEnery was elected 
governor, and that the fusion State ticket was elected ; neitlier did they or either 
(if them at any time consent or agree that s;\id purported canva.ss was oris correct, 
or authorize the pttblication of the same in any manner wliatsoever ; thatsoonafter 
the meeting of said board of canvassers, above refened to, one of said board, to 
wit, S. M. Thomas, left the city, and if he ever resigned as a member of said re- 
turning board it was not known to either of said deponent.s, nor did said O. F. 
Hunsaker, as president of said board, ever at any time receive any indication or 
any commiuiication of the resignation or withdrawal of said S. M. Thomas from the 
.«aid board of canvassers ; and that neither of said deponents ever met or partici- 
I>ated in any canvass of returns after said S, M. Thomas left the city, nor did they 
ever complete the canvass of said returns, nor did they ever authorize any per-son or 
persons to do so for them ; said deponents further state that by the pretended can- 
vass of said returns as juiblished without the consent of said deponents, the returns 
from the following parishes are shown to have been entirely thrown out, to wit. 
Saint Martin, Iberia, Terre Bonne, Iber^lle, and Saint James: that the said par- 
ishes were and are well kno^^Ti to be largely republican, the two parishes of Saint 



James and Tl)orville alone pving more than 2,500 repnblican niaioiity; that there 
was no sntficient proof orpoofl reason why said parishes should have been omitted • 
that had the TOte of said imrish.s ben inoliid.il in tbt- imblication of said pur- 
ported returns, as of ri{;ht it should liav,- been, it would liavL' aildcd several thou- 
sand votes to the republican ticket; and dipoiients furtlii-r sav that a fair, proper, 
and correct canvass of said returns would liave shown that William I'. KilliM'-f; wa» 
elected governor of Louisiana at the cl.<tion held on the 4th of Xoviinbcr, 1872, 
and said deponents verily believe that said William I'. K(lloj:i,' was elected gov- 
ernor of the State of Louisiana by actual votes cast at saiil ilectiou. 

OSCAR F. HtJXSAKEE. 

sa:m.lel m. todi». 

United States of America, District of Louisiana: 

On the 6th day of September, 1873, personally appeared before me Oscar F. Ilun- 
saker and Samuel M. Todd, known to me as the persons thev rej.iesent themselves 
to be, members of the senate of the State of Louisiana, and late niemliersof tlie so- 
called fusion board of State canvassers, known and desiirnated in the I'nited States 
Senate report on Louisiana atiairs as the " Porman board,' who, being duly sworn, 
declared on eath that the facts stated by them in the foregoing affidavit are true 
and correct. 

WILLIAM GRANT, 
United States Commissioner. 

Sworn statement of TT. L. Catli7i. 
United States of America, District of Louisiana : 

Personally appeared before me, the tmdersigned anthorit.y, W. L. Catlin, a resi- 
dent of the city of New Orleans, who. being duly sworn, deposes and sa.vs that he 
was in full sympathy with the so-called fusion party at the hist general election of 
November 4, 1872, in the State of Louisiana ; that he was during the same year an 
intimate personal and business friend of B. P. Blanchard. then State registrar of 
voters, and, as such, aided him in many ways in can-\"ing out his plans for securing 
the success of the fusion party at said election, and that, among other things, he 
aided in the preparation, labeling, and supplying with stationery. &c.. the regular 
ballot-boxes for said election, and attended to their distiibution to the various 
wards ; there were in all one hundred and seventeen ballot-boxes used in the city 
of New Orleans, and that, in addition thereto, he attended to the distribution of sun- 
dry additional or duplicate boxes on Sunday night, November 3. for use at the said 
election, as he imderstood, to further promote the success of said party by substi- 
tuting or otherwise, and delivered some of them personally to the jjarties whom it 
was intended should use them. 

W. L. CATLIN. 

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 2d day of September, 1873. 

F. A. WOLFLET, 
United States Commissioner. 

Sworn statement of John P. Montamat, justice of the peace of Xero Orleans. 
State OF 'LovisiAS A, City of Xeio Orleans: 

Be it known that, on the 8th day of September, A. D. 1973, personally appeared 
before me, a United States commissioner in and for the district of Louisiana, John 
I'. Montamat, of the city and State aforesaid, who, being first duly sworn, deposes 
and says that dnring the month of November, 1872, and for four years previously 
he was' a justice of the peace in the parish of Orleans ; that, in the month afore.saia, 
and after the election held in this parish for governor and other State and parochial 
otticers, the precise da.v atiiant does not remember, but it was while the votes cast at 
the said election were being counted at the State-honse at the Mechanics' Institute, 
one Jack Wharton, of said city of New Orleans, came t-o athant's house. No. 33 Ex- 
change alley, in the said city, and requested atfiant to come with him to a certain 
place in said city to administer the oath to the supervisor of election in and for 
the parish of Madison ; that said affiant went at the request of said .Jack Wharton, 
who took him to a house situated on Gravier street, near Baronne street : that the 
entry doors were closed ; but at the signal given by said Jack Wharton (being three 
consecutive and hard raps) the doors were opened ; that in a room in said house affi- 
ant saw one W. J. Cahoone, who affiant was then and there informed was the .super- 
visor of election for the parish of Madison, appointed by H. C. Wamioth. governor 
of Louisiana ; that said Cahoone told affiant that he wi.shed affiant to swear him to 
the returns of the late election in said parish ; that affiant then saw several persons 
who were making out tally-lists of the returns of the election for the said pari.sh of 
Madison ; that the tally -lists appeared to be signed in blank by the commi.s.sioners 
of election ; that affiant inquired of said Cahoone how it was that he had not pre- 
pared a list and returns in the parish where he came from as he was required to do 



2S 

as supervisor ; that said Calioone toLl affiant he could not count the votes there, a.s 
it was a strong republican parish ; that he had to run away to New Orleans, be- 
cause he wanted to count the votes, and return only such as he saw fit, and he was 
determined to have it his own way, and return only such persons as he thought 
proper ; that atHant finally swore said Cahoone to sevtiial tall.^'-lists and returns, 
and aitiant further says that the greater part of the tally -lists were in blank wheu 
he swore said Cahoone to them. 

JOHK P. MONTAMAT. 
United States of America, District of Louisiana : 

On this 8th day of September, A. D. 1873, before the undersigned, ITnited States 
commissioner, peisonally appeared John P. Montamat, who, being first duly sworn, 
on oath declares that the statements by him made in the foregoing affidavit, to which 
his name is subscribed, are true and correct ; so kelp him God. 

WILLIAM GRANT. 
United States Commissioner. 

Sz':orn st-xtemcnt of Thomas J. M. Carey, chairman of committee on naturalization 
> for fusion party. 

New Orle^vns, September 6, 1873. 

Personally appeared before me, TTilliam Grant, United States commissioner iu 
and for the district of Louisiana, duly commissioned and qualified, Thomas J. M. 
Carey, who, after being duly sworn according to law, deposes and says: 

I was ap])oiiiti'il chairman of the committee on natiiialization in the ninth ward 
of the city of New Orleans by the democratic and fusion jiarties, and performed the 
duties assigned me during the last registration and eli-itiou. 

Our instructions were to naturalize all applicants, whether entitled to naturaliza- 
tion by law or not. The fourth and eii;hth district courts were reported as being 
favorable to issuing certificates to rejiublicans, and the tiist, second, and sixth dis- 
trict courts were favorable to democrats and fusioni.sts. 

When we would timl ajiplicants to occupy the flr.st, second, and sixth district 
courts, we would then go to the eighth district court and represent ourselves as 
republicans. Not an applicant was refused in the first, second, and sixth district 
courts. 

The democratic or fusion party furnished the blanks for the first, second, and 
sixth district couits, anil the republicans were reported as having furnished the 
blanks for the eighth district court. In the first, second, and sixth di-stiict courts, 
if a party was not vouched for by the naturalization committee, the judge would 
subject him to a rigid examination, and if he succeeded in getting the order of coiu't, 
the clerk would not issue the certificates of naturalization without being paid for 
it. When parties were vouched for bv the committee of w hich I was the chairman, 
few questions were asked by the judges, and no charge was made by the clerks. 
When we had few applicant.? we would take the same parties under difl:erent as- 
sumed names and get certificates of naturalization for them. 

When we had doubts of the parties, we would retain the certificates and have 
them registered. In other cases the parties would be allowed to retain them. Our 
committee aided all applicants who were favorable to the democratic or fusion 
ticket', whether they resided in the ninth ward or not. Our instruction also re- 
quired us to explain to all applicants what questions would be asked them by the 
judges. Our committee were employed in this service about one month and a half 
previous to the closing of registration, and, to the best of my knowledge and be- 
lief, caused at least two thousand fradulent natiiialization certificates to be issued, 
to be voted on on the day of election for the democratic or fusion ticket. 

I was appointed commissioner for the poll corner of Moreau and Louisa streets 
by B. P. Blanchard, esq., register of voters, on the recommendation of the demo- 
cratic parish committee and the ninth ward auxiliary club. 

On the day previous to tlie last election, the commissioners of election were 
ordered to assemble at the ilechanics' Institute, to receive instructions for the day 
of election. We were instructed to place every impediment in the way of voters 
who were not fusionists, by makingth 'in sign their names, demanding the numbers 
of their residences, or any other question to annoy them, and lastly to refer them 
to the oflicer of the ward supervisor bef f)re receiving their ballots,' so as to harass 
and annoy them into abandoning the attempt to vote. 

On the day of election the orders of the registrar of voters were faithfully carried 
out— in fact, the commissioners went further ; when parties had the fusion tickets 
in their hands they were taken without question; when tickets were folded 
and the applicants not known to be favorable, they would be subjected to an in- 
spection under the plea that the commissioners must be certain that the voter is 
aware what tickets he is voting. If the f(dded ticket proved to be republican, we 
would act as indicated by instiuctions : if democratic, it woidd be deposited in the 
ballot-box. We kept a correct account of every ballot deposited in the box. In 



29 

cases where we were compelled to receive the vote of a republican, whether white 
or colored, we woiild write in large cliaracters on his cortifioato so as to attract 
attention if attenijit w:is made to votr a sirond time; but when a fusionist pre- 
sented liis oertiticate, the iii(lois< iiicnl re(|iiir('d by law to be made on certificates 
would be written in small characters on the corner, so as to facilitate him in 
repeating. 

When a fusionist presented himself a second time on acertificate that had already 
been voted on, one of the fusion commissioners, who were ])la<-ed at each jioll, would 
hold the certificate in his liand so as to conceal tlic forniciiiidorsc iim'mI. and callout 
to the United Sfates insjiecfors, two of whom witc phiccd at i ai h poUin;; jdace, 
saying "Tliis i.s all ri^lit." If. as in some cases, they would take the eerfihcaf* iu 
hand and discover the fornier indorsement, the ballot would bo refused. This 
however, would he rarely tliecas(<. 

There weie about tiUO fraiululent votes polled in the seventh ward, about 600 in 
the eighth ward, and about 1,200 in the :iinth ward, making in all 2,400 fraudulent 
votes illegally polled on the daj- of electioirfor the democratic fusion ticket. 

THOMAS J. M. CAIIEY, 
Corner of MoreMi and Louisa Streets. 

Sworn to and subsciibed before me September 6, 1873. 

WILLIAM GEAlfT, 
United States Commissioner, J>iiitrictof Lo^dsiana. 

The following statement shows the number of registered voters, colored and 
white, at last election, as taken under democratic fusion auspices : 

Statement of the numherof voters remaining on the registry hools Oetoher 
28, 1872, as com}nled from the final reports of sujjervisors of registration 
in each parish, State of Louisiana. 



Parish. 



Ascension 

Assumption 

Avoyelles 

Baton Rouge, East.. 
Baton Rouge, AVest. 

Bienville 

Bossier* 

Caddo 

Calcasieu 

Caldwell 

Cameron 

Carroll 

Catahoula 

Claiborne 

Concordia 

DeSoto 

Feliciana, East 

Feliciana, West 

Franklin 

Grant 

llaeria 

Iberville 

Jackson 

Jefferson 

Lafayette 

Lafourche 

Livingstont 

Madison 

Morehouse 

Natchitoches 

Orleans! 

Ouachita 

Plaquemines 

Point Coupee 

Rapides 

Red River 

Richland 



White. 



Colored. 



3,296 
2, 176 
2,188 
1, 559 
859 
715 



3,134 

166 

586 

31 

2,073 

992 

1,293 

2,577 

1,403 

2,351 

2,084 

507 

733 

1,241 

3,296 

822 

2, 866 

897 

2,407 



2,207 

1, 339 

1,833 

19, 244 

2,311 

1,699 

2,807 

1, 629 

966 

644 



Total. 



4,444 
4,383 
4,327 
3,048 
1, 256 
1,631 



4,683 
868 
1, 127 
294 
2,645 
2,057 
2,666 
2,384 
2,407 
3, 451 
2,605 
1, 029 
1,349 
2,381 
4,036 
1,923 
4,262 
2,012 
4,709 



2,725 
2,033 
3, 3.50 
55, 026 
3,281 
2, 372 
3,846 
3,348 
1,407 
1, 243 



30 

Statement of the luimher of voters vemaiiii»g on tlie ref/istry hoohs Ovtober 
28, 1872 .fc, — Coutiuued. 



Parisli. 



Sabine 

Saint Bernard 

Saint Charles 

Saiut Helenat 

Saint James 

Saint John Baptist . 

Saint Landry 

Saint Martin 

Saint Mary 

Saint Tammany. ^ . 

Tangipahoa 

Tensas 

Terre Bonne^ 

Union 

"Vermillion 

Vernon 

"Washington 

"Webster 

"Winn 



Total. 



"White. 



711 
500 
300 



703 

817 

3,718 

1,035 

1,117 

624 

917 

368 



1,788 
828 
717 
543 
854 
755 



86, 672 



Colored. 



Total. 



151 

570 
1,850 



2, 120 

1,720 

3,641 

926 

1,941 

700 

613 

3,146 



872 
282 
79 
168 
862 
135 



94, 407 



862 
1, 070 
2,150 



2,823 
2,537 
7, 359 
1,961 
3, 058 
1,324 
1,530 
3,514 



2.620 

1,110 

796 

711 

1,716 

890 



181, 179 



*Bo.ssier Parish, population by cen.sus of 1670, wliite, 3,505; colored, 9,170. Per 
report of United States supervisor the registered vote for 1872 was, white, 587 ; col- 
ored, 1,795. 
t Vote of Saint Helena and Livingston Parishe.s small. 

t In Orleans Parish it is well kno^\-n that the registration of white votes for 1872 
was excessive. See Blanchard's statement. 

^ Terre Bonne Pari-sh, by census of 1870, white, 6,030; colored, 6,172. Keport of 
TJuited States supervisor had registered voters, colored, 1,608 ; white, 1,201. 

St.^te of Louisiana, 
Office State Registkau of Voters, 
Neiv Orleans, September 8, 1873. 
I hereby certify that the foregoing statement has been carefully compiled by me 
from the final reports of supervisors of registration in the parishes above named, as 
made to B. P. Blanchard, State registrar of voters in the year 1872, at which time I 
was chief clerk to said B. P. Blanchard, and that the original reports and final re- 
ports are now on file in the oflice of State registrar of voters. 

"WALTER S. LONG, 
Clerk State Registrar of Voters. 

State of Louisiana, 
Office State Registrar of Voters, 
New Orleans, September 8, 1873. 
I hereby certify that the original final reports of supervisors of registration, from 
which the foregoing has been compiled, are on file in tliis oflice, aud that the com- 
pilation is correctly made. 

THOMAS L"OrN'E, 

State Registrar of Voters. 



Note.— The registration of 1870 showed over 23,000 excess of colored voters over 
wliite. The above registration was taken under democratic auspices; hence the 
great reduction. StiU, it will be seen giving in 1872 a colored registered vote over 
the white of 7,735 

The republicans were not allowed in New Orleans a single commissioner of elec- 
tion at any poll. 

It is not denied that nearly every colored man in the State voted the republican 
ticket, and that at least eight or ten thousand whites so voted. Grant and Kellogg 
running as shown, even by fusions returns, far ahead of their ticket. 

The supreme court of the State has, since the 1st of January last, rendered no 
less than fifteen decisions, fully sustaining the legality of the Kellogg government. 

The election took place on the first Monday in November. Gov- 
ernor Warmoth issued his iiroclamation convening the newly elected 



31 

Leo-islatiire in oxtra session on DocniiljerO, l"'?^, and pionmlKated tlic 
so-called resnlt of the election so far as to give the names of those 
who it was declared were eh-cted to the General Assembly, f nor - 
to the arrival of thedav set for the meeting flf the General Assembly, 
nroceediuo-s were instil'nted in the circnit comt of the United btates, 
on the equity side, under the provisions of the enforcement act, to 
make eifectual the votes of several tliousand colored voters whose 
votes had not been counted, ami of nearly ten thousand others who 
had made affidavits that they had been deprived of the riglit to vote. 
The election returns in the hands of Warmotli's board were ordere. 
turned over to the board which had been declared to bo the on y legal 
board of canvassers by the supnnne court of the State, tlio bignest 
and last court of appe'als in the State. The Lynch board thereupon 
proceeded to make a canvass and declare the result, and the persons 
declared by this board to be members of the General Assembly con- 
vened on the day mentioned in the proclamation ot the govcmor, 
namely, December 9, 1872, organized by the election of a speaker anil 
officers, and then proceeded to impeach the governor for high crimes 
and misdemeanors in office. Under the constitution ot Louisiana im- 
peachment works suspension from office, and the lieutenant-governQr, 
Pinchback, became acting governor.. On the same day those who were 
by proclamation of Governor Warmoth declared elected members of 
the General Assembly assembled at the city hall and organized them- 
selves into a Legislature, recognized by Governor Warmoth who re- 
fused to recogni2e the validity of the proceedings of the l)ody which 
impeached him. There being then two bodies each claiming to be the 
General Assembly of the State and two persons claiming to be gov- 
ernor of the State, the President of the United States was called upon 
during the recess of Congress to recognize one as the legal govern- 
ment of the State. He saw tit to recognize Pinchback as governor of 
the State, and up to this time that action has been acquiesced m by 

The sui)sequent history of the Louisiana case is familiar to you, 
Mr. Sneaker, and to us all. In brief. Governor Kellogg, who was 
inaugurated in January, 1873, as the successor of Acting Governor 
PincSback, has administered the affairs of the State smc^ that time. 
Durinf' his seventeen months' administration of the attair.s ot TUe 
State he has had much to contend with. As an evidence of his suc- 
cess I will onlv refer to his management of the finances of the State. 
He has by a -^ ' and thorough administration of the law, securing 

a nnif.n-m colle. and honest disposition of the taxes restored to 

a great degree th. ;redit of the State by paying promptly the inter- 
est on the State debt to January, 1874, and by providing for the inter- 
est on the funded debt of the State and by paying all claims agamst 
the State contracted during his administration, besides paying large 
arrears of interest which was past due when he took office as well 
as retiring a considerable amount of floating debt contracted hy the 
previous administration. , <■ t • -^^o +^ 

A o-reat evil which affects a portion of the people of Louisiana to- 
day fs the wide-spread belief that this Kellogg government is a fraud 
saddled upon them by Federal power. That this is an honest and sin- 
cere belief on the part of numbers of ^he masses I have good reason 
to lielieve. They saw the official announcement of the resnlt ot tiie 
election, the newspapers which they read (and a majority of the 
people, imfortunately for themselves, are peculiarly addicted to read- 
incr and believing one side alone and entire) stoutly and consistently 
asserted the same thing. With the exception of the leaders or maii- 
a"-ers who planned the frauds and their tools who did the dirty work 



\ 



\ 



\ 



LIBRARV OF CONSSl 




3-> lllliliil'™ 

013 744 664 9 

of exccutiou,^thP people knew but little of the nQauiior m wliich the 
registration and election were conducted or the way in which the re- 
sult that they believed imtil a very recent date to be the true result 
was arrived at. , ' . , . 

As I said before, havin<^ this belief, being burdened with excessive 
taxation, heavy and hard to be borne because of the non-develop- 
ment of the country, and being greatly discouraged by a partial 
failure and tlie unremuneratively low price of the cotton and sugar 
crops, the main crops of the State, a most unenvial)le condition of 
public feeling has prevailed in the public mind. In addition, the 
uncertain position of Congress in this matter interpreted to suit the 
views and designs of the political agitators, has tentled to keep alive 
the hopes of both parties without any certain condition of things . 
being assured. The Senate seated neither Ray nor McMillen in the 
Forty-second Congress, and have seated neither Pinchback nor 
McMillen in the Fortv-third Congress up to this time. 

What Louisiana wants to-day at the hands of Congress is not an 
invasion of her rights as a sovereign State, not the application of a 
rule which Congress would hesitate, yes, icoiiM not dare, to apply to 
New York or Pennsylvania, but she wants a liberal policy in the mat- 
ter of internal improvements. She in connection with the great West 
asks for the free outlet from the Mississippi River to the Gulf either 
l)y freeing the mouth of the river from obstructions or by building 
the Fort Saint Philip Canal. She in common with Missouri, Tennes- 
see, Arkansas, Mississippi, and perhaps Kentucky, asks that, as an act 
of bare justice, the levees of the Mississii)pi, constructed and main- 
tained at the cost of millions of dollars, and which were destroyed 
in great part during the war by the United States Army, and which 
are washed, abraded, and in many cases destroyed by the increased 
pressure of the river, caused by its navigation by powerful steamboats, 
should be taken charge of and maintained at the expense of the na- 
tion. That the maintenance of the Mississippi levees is of great 
benefit to the navigation of the Mississippi River has been clearly 
demonstrated after years of patient investigation by those United 
States engineers so eminent in the profession. Generals Humphreys 
and Abbot, in that able and exhaustive report which has given the 
authors a world-wide reputation as being among the ablest engineers 
in the profession, and which has been translated into foreign lan- 
guages, and if5%ow treated as a text-book by the profession. The ' 
measiu-es I speak of are measures of practical not sentimental relief, •, 
measures which will infuse new life into the commerce of the State, 
will lift New Orleans from the slough of despondency into which she 
has fallen, (and New Orleans is Louisiana in the same sense that Paris 
is France,) will infuse new life into the minds and hearts of the agri- 
culturists of the State, who, once more protected from the ravaging 
inundations of the Mississippi River, will never again feel the dire 
necessity which compelled them to ask this Government for bread to 
keep their families fiom starvation. 

With a vigorous enforcement of the laws on the statute-book, for 
the protection of life and property, without which all inducements 
to capital and immigration will be futile ; with a generous welcome 
extended to all Avho may come, granting the largest liberty of politi- 
cal opinion and action to every one, the natural advantages of the 
South, and especially of Ijouisiana, will assert themselves and bring 
about a development of the resources of the South which will be pro- / 

ductive of an era of prosperity on a more lasting basis we trust th.an ,' 

ever uiaintained under the old regime. 



'vat, 



^ ^ / 



c 



/ 



/ 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



a °' 



013 744 664 9 



Pennulipe* 



